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10-1-2011 Smokejumper Magazine, October 2011 National Smokejumper Association

Bill Cramer

Major Boddicker

Les Joslin

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Recommended Citation National Smokejumper Association; Cramer, Bill; Boddicker, Major; and Joslin, Les, "Smokejumper Magazine, October 2011" (2011). Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines. 77. https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_mag/77

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives & Special Collections at EWU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines by an authorized administrator of EWU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The National Smokejumper Quarterly Magazine Association October 2011 Smokejumper HONORING OUR VETERANS

Firearms of Early USFS...... 9 Musquez Family in Service of US...... 18 First NSA Scholarship Awards...... 28 CONTENTS Message from Message from the President...... 2 Former Jumpers Help Maintain, Rebuild Forest Trail in West Virginia...... 3 the President Annual Get-Together Pushes Cave Junction Base Museum Closer to Reality...... 4 Sounding Off from the Editor...... 5 Everyone told stories, smiled and The Magnificent Hole: A Tale of Smokejumper Culture in the 1950s...... 6 laughed each day as we left our Blast from the Past...... 8 sweat on the trail. For a while we Firearms of the Early Forest Service...... 9 were in our 20s again digging fire The Jump List...... 12 The View from Outside the Fence...... 14 line as a team. We were tough, There I Was...... 15 cocky, and the world was at our Atkins’ Courage Likely Saved Lives fingertips. of Squad Members...... 17 MacKinnon, West Point Graduate, Held in High The highlight of the week for Esteem by Comrades, Iraqis...... 20 me was listening to what these Glory Days...... 21 smokejumpers accomplished Wrapping Up a Season with their lives. The schoolteach- On the Wing-Tip Fire...... 24 With Morale at an Extreme Low, by John Twiss er who worked with problem USFS Needs Leaders Who Excel...... 25 (Redmond ’67) children, the Navy pilot who New Camera Survives Shock of Landing Near volunteered for multiple tours Challenging Fire...... 27 President NSA Selects Two for First-Ever in Vietnam, the FBI agent who Scholarship Awards...... 28 I got to participate in a Na- tracked Soviet spies, the forester Two More Children of Smokejumpers and a tional Smokejumper Association who started his own forestry Smokejumper Shined at Olympics...... 29 The Future of America’s National Forests Volunteer Trail Rehabilitation company ... and so many more. Depends on Revised Laws and a Project this summer. It felt good Often they talked about the role Restored U.S. Forest Service...... 30 to again use every muscle in my smokejumping played in their A Real Kick in the Head: Knife-Wielding Jumpers Create Some Drama...... 32 body and drag back to camp each lives. Off the list...... 33 evening dog tired. I slept like a Thanks to the NSA Trails Odds and Ends...... 34 baby. Committee for their wonder- It was wonderful to be back ful leadership. For those of you in the woods, chinking away who worked on an NSA Volun- with smokejumpers, the people teer Trail or Facility Project this to whom I have always been the summer. my hat’s off to you. closest. And it pleased me to be For those who haven’t, you may doing something very needed on want to give it a try. Perhaps it is one of our national forests. time for a winter project in the Smokejumper, Issue No. 74, October 2011 ISSN 1532-6160 Our age group ran 42 to 82. Southwest!

Smokejumper is published quarterly by: The National Smokejumper Association c/o 10 Judy Lane Chico, CA 95926 Help The NSA With Your

The opinions of the writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the NSA. Permis- Website Skills sion to reproduce Smokejumper in any manner Know your way around a website? Want to contribute to your favorite must first be obtained in writing. organization and profession? The National Smokejumper Association NSA Web site: http://www.smokejumpers.com Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley is looking for folks with technical and web experience to contribute Associate Editor: Ed Booth to smokejumpers.com. Editing: K. G. Sheley We would welcome HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Graphics, and/or Photos: Johnny Kirkley database skills. Additional opportunities exist as well. Contact the Illustrators: Dan Veenendaal, and Eric Rajala Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg Graphics, Web coordinator at: [email protected] with your skills www.HeidelbergGraphics.com and interest. Cover photo: Jim Allen (NCSB-46) 1943 (Cour- tesy Emily Allen)

Check the NSA website 2 www.smokejumpers.com Former Jumpers Help Maintain, Rebuild Forest Trail In West Virginia by Rick Steelhammer

(Copyright 2011, The Charleston [W.Va.] Gazette. Re- est, maintaining and rebuilding an eight-mile section printed with permission.) of the planned 23-mile Heart of the Highlands Trail. The 16 former smokejumpers range in age from DAVIS, W.Va.—Former firefighters who once para- 32 to 82, all members of the National Smokejumper chuted to remote Western wildfires are spending some Association. Among other things, the alumni group time on the ground in the Monongahela National For- organizes volunteer work crews for weeklong repair and maintenance projects on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. Their work on West Virginia’s Monongahela NSA Members—Save National Forest is one of 21 association projects This Information scheduled for this summer, and the first to take place east of the Mississippi, the Charleston Sunday Gazette Please contact the following persons direct- reports. ly if you have business or questions: Crew leader John McDaniel (CJ-57) of Falun, Smokejumper magazine Kan., is a Grafton, W.Va., native and graduate of West Articles, obits, change of address Virginia University’s forestry program. He spent three Chuck Sheley 530-893-0436 fire seasons as a smokejumper in Cave Junction, Ore. [email protected] “I used to come here, to the Blackwater Falls area, 10 Judy Ln. with my aunt and uncle,” McDaniel said during a Chico, CA 95926 break from trail maintenance work on the Allegheny Membership Trail. It will form part of the western arc of the Heart John McDaniel 785-668-2093 of the Highlands Trail. [email protected] “On this project, we have volunteers from Mon- P.O. Box 105 tana, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington Falun, KS 67442-0105 and New York,” McDaniel said. “Everyone comes Historical items here at their own expense. Our motto is ‘We work for Photos, letters, documents food.’” Larry Longley 360-654-1720 This summer’s work includes the restoration of a [email protected] two-mile section of the Allegheny Trail, known as the 16430 Marine Dr. Davis Trail as it passes through Blackwater Falls State Stanwood, WA 98292 Park. The 330-mile Allegheny Trail stretches from All else Preston County’s border with Pennsylvania to the Vir- NSA President ginia state line at the edge of Monroe County. John Twiss 605-673-4117 All former smokejumpers taking part in NSA work [email protected] projects must first pass a physical exam. “We have 160 Clay Street to keep reminding ourselves we’re not 25 anymore,” Custer, SD 57730-1036 McDaniel said. When the day’s work is done, the volunteers retire to their cabins, “where we tell stories and drink lots of beer,” McDaniel said with a smile. Smokejumper base abbreviations: Missoula...... MSO Anchorage...... ANC Grangeville...... GAC Redding...... RDD “We’re here partly for the camaraderie and partly Boise...... NIFC Idaho City...... IDC Redmond...... RAC for a little payback,” said Bill Tucker (MSO-50) of Cave Junction...... CJ La Grande...... LGD West Yellowstone.WYS Arlington, Va., who at age 82 was the senior member Fairbanks...... FBX McCall...... MYC Winthrop...... NCSB of the crew.

Check the NSA website 3 www.smokejumpers.com “Being a smokejumper means being part of a Tucker both pursued military careers, with McDaniel unique organization with a unique mission,” said flying Navy fighter-bombers for 30 years and Tucker Tucker, who started his stint as a smokejumper in retiring from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. 1950 at the U.S. Forest Service’s Missoula, Mont., Air The U.S. Forest Service initiated its smokejumper Center. program in 1940, starting with a crew of 10. There Most NSA volunteers on the crew worked as are now about 400 smokejumpers based at nine Forest smokejumpers to help pay their way through college, Service and Bureau of Land Management air centers and then moved on to other ventures. McDaniel and across the West and in Alaska.

Annual Get-Together Pushes Cave Junction Base Museum Closer To Reality by Jeff Duewel

(Copyright 2011, The Grants Pass Daily Courier. Reprinted where parachutes were repaired and rigged is the next with permission. The Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum is one phase, now that businessman Jack McCornack has of the NSA Restoration Projects.) moved to the former warehouse next door. The first day of the work party involved building he former Siskiyou Smokejumpers bran- rigging tables just like the originals. dished their hammers and paintbrushes for Historian Roger Brandt (Associate) noted that as Tthe annual work party in mid-June, and many as 17 Singer sewing machines were needed to the museum honoring their work is a step closer to keep the chutes in working order, and the parachute completion. loft was featured in Singer’s company magazine in People can now take a walking tour, with eight new 1956. interpretive signs, at the former base at the Illinois When the former dispatch office opens, visitors will Valley Airport just outside Cave Junction, Oregon. be able to see old photographs and also see more pho- The museum became a reality when Josephine County tos and buy food and drink at the former mess hall. commissioners last year granted museum backers a The interpretive signs each have a number of old lease. black-and-white photos, telling a different part of the “It’s not where we want it to be yet, but a lot of story. progress was made during the week,” said Gary Buck One tells of Tommy Smith (CJ-61), the jumper (CJ-66), former smokejumper and Cave Junction who drowned in the Illinois River returning from a resident. “We’d like to be open for steady hours, by jump. Another shows one of the original moon trees, August, five or six days a week.” grown from seeds taken to the moon by astronaut Buck said about 40 people participated each day, Stuart Roosa (CJ-53), who was a smokejumper before building a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk, fixing roofs, going to flight school and later commander for Apollo repairing walls, and doing anything else needed to 14. restore the place to its original state. Another sign shows the work in the parachute loft, The work party has been held each June for the past another details the training, and another shows the few years. barracks and mess hall. One large interpretive sign The base operated from 1943 to 1981, one of discusses the entire loop. three original bases in the country for the rugged To reach the museum, take Redwood Highway men who jumped out of planes to fight remote (U.S. 199) south from Cave Junction to the Illinois wildfires. They called it “The Gobi” for the rocky Valley Airport and turn right at the second entrance, landscape. marked “Smokejumper Way.” Buck said restoring the historical A-frame loft

Check the NSA website 4 www.smokejumpers.com SOUNDING OFF from the Editor

John MacKinnon (MSO- checked out all deceased 57) have been gracious jumpers for comments in enough to let us tell their listings. I know this the stories of these list is not complete, but young men. Thanks to here is what we have: Carl Gidlund (MSO- 58) for writing up the Smokejumpers Killed articles on Capt. Michael While in the Military MacKinnon and Staff Sgt. William R. Beasley (IDC- Travis Atkins. 60): September 25, 1966. The cover photo is of Helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Jim Allen (NCSB-46), Died in crash. our highly respected leader Ma l v i n L . Brow n by Chuck Sheley at Cave Junction. With (PNOR-45): August 6, (Cave Junction ’59) this photo, I thought back 1945. Member of Triple Managing Editor to an article in the April 2000 Nickles. First Smokejumper I wanted to try something a bit issue of Smokejumper by Gary killed in line of duty, Umpqua different for this issue in honor- “Tex” Welch (CJ-60). Tex was N.F., Oregon, while making a ing smokejumpers who have telling about his thirteenth jump letdown. served in the military. Veterans on the dreaded Umpqua N.F. Ralph Cordes (NCSB-48): Killed Day is November 11, 2011, and The Umpqua was the land of during Korean War. the October issue is appropriate the “big trees” where a 150-foot Steven Henault (MSO-46): Febru- for this purpose. letdown rope was usually carried. ary 1971. Alaska Air National The NSA database has over From the article: “Project Air Guard aircraft crash. 5,000 listed smokejumpers, and Officer Jim Allen asked about Jerry Hofer (MYC-43): Pilot dur- the number who have served the tree landing. Keep in mind ing Korean War. Failed to return in the military must run over a that we were mostly 21-25 years from mission. thousand. There is no way pos- old and thought that we were Hugh Jenkins (MSO-49): April sible that I could list all of those the roughest, toughest specimens 25, 1953. KIA Korea. Awarded individuals. on earth. We accepted it with the Silver Star. As a representation of all humility. Robert Kester (CJ-55): Crash of jumpers who have been in the “I gave Jim the report, men- his Marine Corps F8U fighter. military, I chose MSG U.S. Army tioned that it was my thirteenth Richard McClung (MSO-42): (Ret.) Ben Musquez (MSO-56). jump and that I was due a little Pilot MIA South Pacific WII. As you can see from the excellent excitement. (His letdown rope was Richard Pratt (NCSB-66): De- centerfold done by our Photo 50 feet short of the ground-Ed.) cember 8,1967. KIA Vietnam. Editor Johnny Kirkley (CJ-64), Jim said he also remembered his James Putnam (NCSB-48): Died the Musquez family has a long- thirteenth jump. ‘Yeah,’ I said, of wounds, Korea 1951. standing tradition of military ‘What was it like?’ My bubble George “Ken” Sisler (NCSB-57): history. There were even more burst and the wind left my sails February 7, 1967. Died of relatives, but we had to limit our when he said, ‘I was 21. It was wounds suffered in action, Laos. space to the centerfold section. September 17, 1944, Operation Awarded the Congressional Two of our members have lost Market Garden (A Bridge Too Medal of Honor. sons in Iraq. I was very hesitant Far) in Holland and a couple to approach these gentlemen months before Bastogne.” Please send any update or cor- on such a sensitive subject, but As a final part of this issue I rections so we can make our NSA both Jack Atkins (MSO-68) and went through our database and records as accurate as possible.

Check the NSA website 5 www.smokejumpers.com The Magnificent Hole: A Tale Of Smokejumper Culture In The 1950s by Bill Breyfogle (Missoula ’55)

his story is a happening in the late 1950s and told as remembered after more than T50 years. It reflects a time when the average smokejumper was 22 years old, and he jumped for an average of two and a half years. Most of the jumpers in Missoula stayed in the dorm at the fire depot, that was more like a college dormitory than a Forest Service facility. Let the story begin: In those days, the main para- chute a smokejumper used was 28 feet in diameter, and when he – there were no female smokejumpers in those days – hit the ground, it was said the impact was equal to a free fall from 16 feet. Landing properly was essential to keep from breaking an ankle or worse. Because of this, during a jumper’s first year – I never heard the term “rookie year” used then – one hour a day for three weeks was spent in practice making a proper landing called the “Allen Roll.” In his book “Young Men and Fire,” Norman McLean says: “If a jumper lands on flat ground at all, it is something like jumping off the roof of an automo- bile going 25 miles an hour, and in 1949 he finished his jump by the ‘Allen Roll,’ landing sideways, with The “A” Frame (Courtesy B. Breyfogle) his right side from his hips down taking the shock, the upper part of his body continuing to pivot to the right into a forward gear, and the jumper was pulled to the until his body falls on its back and then rolls over on ground. The idea was that the rate of descent could be its knees. As a jumping instructor once said, the roll is controlled by what gear was used in the transmission. to spread the pain over all the body.” Some jumpers taking refresher training were given We practiced the roll standing on the ground, the opportunity to try this new training device. Even jumping off platforms, running off platforms, or using in low gear we hit the ground harder – much harder a device called the “Canadian Swing,” which could – than on a normal landing. Given the opportunity to make us roll forward or backward. We practiced and try it a second time, I think we all declined the honor. practiced, but we still broke our ankles. As I remem- The A-frame was never used again as a training ber, the number of broken bones in Missoula in 1955 device. was more than 30, including one broken back and a In 1958 the A-frame was gone, but the anchor, permanent leg disability. which held it in place, was still there. It was a piece of So, in 1957, to help perfect the proper landing, a concrete, eight feet by eight feet by two feet thick. It new apparatus shaped like a large letter “A” was con- had no purpose. structed. It consisted of a large A-frame held upright In the 50s there were 150 jumpers in Missoula by a concrete anchor, a pulley system, a gasoline en- and if there were no fires, most of the jumpers were gine, and a transmission from a Crosley automobile. sent out to ranger districts on projects. The projects A jumper’s chute harness was attached to some consisted of such good deals as trail work, cruising risers. He was pulled up to the cross arm of the “A,” timber, hanging phone line, cutting helicopter landing the transmission was taken out of reverse and put spots, or anything else the ranger wanted done. The

Check the NSA website 6 www.smokejumpers.com “good deal” was that the ranger district did not have magnificent and we were very proud of it. We contin- to pay the salary of the jumpers – fire control did that ued to work and hit water at 16 feet, as I remember it. – but the district did furnish the jumpers with room This was great, but no overhead came to see the and board. magnificent hole. We were disappointed. Now we had When there was a fire bust, all the jumpers were ideas for this hole other than a burial site for a concrete recalled to Missoula, and if the fire bust fizzled, there anchor – maybe we’d get it filled with water and use it were a lot of jumpers at the fire depot without any- for swimming. thing to do. But all good things must come to an end. We got a When this happened, the “overhead” had to come fire call. up with some creative ideas to keep us earning our pay. When we returned from the fire, we volunteered Some of the jobs were essential to keep the base in to return to our project. The offer was refused with operation: such as checking parachutes and other gear some language, which I will not repeat. It seemed that returned from fires, and packing fire packs, but many after we left, another crew was sent out to work on the of the jobs were put in the category respectfully called hole, but they had no imagination and could not see “Mickey Mousing.” These consisted of jobs that were the endless possibilities of working on this hole out of designed to keep us busy and make the government sight and mind of the overhead. feel we had earned our pay, even though we had done What were they thinking? They went back to the things of little importance. overhead and asked the foolish question: “How deep From these jobs we would take time off each morn- do you want that hole, anyway?” ing and afternoon for physical training, called volley- Thus ended one of the best “Mickey Mouse” proj- ball. ects ever undertaken. Back to the anchor. It could provide an opportunity By the way ... how the eight-by-eight-by-two con- to keep some jumpers occupied as they waited for a crete anchor was moved into the hole must be a differ- fire call. With this in mind, four of us were sent to dig ent story, but because we were on a fire, we missed the a hole at least eight feet by eight feet by more than two “hole” thing. feet deep to bury the A-frame anchor. Now four people in the same hole, digging at the same time, could be unsafe; so to make sure that no one was hurt, it was decided (by us, not the overhead) that for safety’s sake, each of us would work for 15 minutes and take 45 minutes off. And so on the first day the hole was started. The next morning, the “overhead” was assured that the work on the hole was progressing, and armed with our shovels (and a radio and some reading material), we proceeded to our work site and continued our work. To ensure that more work was done, we decided that we would work two hours on and six hours off – with time out for physical training, called volleyball. So we listened to the radio, read, napped, played volleyball and worked on the hole. The next day, and the next, progressed in like fashion. The hole got deeper, and nobody came to see how we were doing. The fire depot is located on the bed of old Lake Missoula, and as the hole got deeper, we dug through different layers of sediment, and the hole became very interesting. We liked it and we dug faster and deeper. Because the hole was in the bottom of the old lakebed, and there is much clay and gravel in the soil, there seemed to be no chance of a cave-in. We needed steps to get in and out of the hole, and we needed buckets and rope to lift the dirt out of the hole. There wasn’t time to read or rest. The hole was The Magnificent Hole (Courtesy B. Breyfogle)

Check the NSA website 7 www.smokejumpers.com BLAST FROM THE PAST

Musgrove (MSO-41) and Wag Dodge (MSO-41), along with Miss Streit’s father, Norman C. The First Doctor Streit, to Big Prairie in another Travel Air 6000. Trained By “This group had been delayed because a 60-mile round trip had been necessary to secure parachutes Smokejumpers For and jump suits at the Forest Service headquarters at Nine Mile, when it was Rescue Work thought the men would jump, but that by Jack Demmons (Missoula ’50) did not materialize. The Daily Missoulian paper on “At 7:30 a.m. these men, along with several Sept.19, 1941, had an article that read: “The saga of Forest Service members, met the party bringing Miss a fearless girl, an intrepid doctor, dauntless airmen and Streit to Big Prairie three miles above the ranger sta- hardy rescue workers (including smokejumpers), ended tion. They had a mule-drawn, rubber-tired cart to at the Missoula airport here Thursday afternoon when which she was transferred. Barbara Streit, pretty 20-year-old Missoula co-ed, was “Pilot Bob Johnson said that the rescue could have lifted carefully from an airplane and placed in a waiting been effected much more quickly if it had been known ambulance. from the first that the girl was far up the trail, instead “Thus ended a 95-mile, 24-hour-long trip on an of at the ranger station, as had been reported. improvised stretcher and through the air for Miss Stre- “If this had been known, Dr. Martin, a trained it, shot through both knees in mid-afternoon Wednes- parachutist, and several smokejumpers could have been day while on a hunting trip in a remote forest wilder- dropped, possibly at the Hahn Creek Guard Station, ness deep in the heart of the South Fork primitive area, and that would have saved many hours, Johnson said. about 75 miles by airplane northeast of Missoula. “After Miss Streit’s arrival at the ranger station, the “Bob Johnson had flown Dr. Martin and nurse two Travel Air aircraft and passengers quickly took off Cathryn Ward to the Big Prairie strip, and from there for the 75-mile return flight to Missoula. they started up the trail with three Forest Service per- “Others in the hunting party when the accident oc- sonnel from the ranger station. They met the members curred included Bud and Pel Turner of the Tamaracks of the hunting party from the Tamaracks Lodge at Lodge [author’s note: Bud later became a Marine Corps Seeley Lake, of which Barbara Streit was a member, six fighter pilot flying in the South Pacific during World War hours later, 18 miles up the trail, and at 3:30 a.m. the II] and several guests from the lodge. The one who reinforced party arrived at the Hahn F.S. Guard Sta- wounded Miss Streit was not from that party.” tion, about 10 miles above Big Prairie. “It hurts my pride,” Barbara Streit later said, with a “Dr. Martin said her condition was critical until grin, “to have somebody mistake me for an elk.” she was given a blood transfusion at the lonely Forest She survived and today lives in the Missoula area. I Service cabin. She was believed to be near death from have talked to her several times about the accident. shock before the transfusion was administered. ‘She snapped out of the shock immediately afterwards,’ Dr. Continued from 12 Martin said. “New of the accident had been telephoned from The Jump List Big Prairie late Wednesday afternoon. It was then that model; better training in all aspects of the job; better Johnson flew Dr. Martin and nurse Cathryn Ward to equipment, such as fire-resistant items, hard hats, com- Big Prairie, where they started the hike towards Hahn munications from jumper to aircraft and probably to Creek. the ranger station (we, of course, had no communica- “Dick Johnson then flew smokejumpersKarl tion other than colored panels); and no hires without Nussbacher (MSO-41), Roy Mattson (MSO-41), Bill considerable fire experience.”

Check the NSA website 8 www.smokejumpers.com Firearms Of The Early Forest Service by Karl Brauneis (Missoula ’77)

“A ranger of any grade must be thoroughly sound and able- alry) and was there with his “cow boss” as they stormed bodied, capable of enduring hardships and performing severe up San Juan Hill. labor under trying conditions. He must be able to take care Fred was later appointed a forest ranger by Roosevelt, of himself and his horses in regions remote from settlement himself, and was known for his “outfit.” W.J. Yenne, in and supplies.” his book “Switchback,” gave this account: “Fred’s spurs – U.S. Forest Service Use Book, 1908 were silver, and his horse wore a silver-studded bridle and martingale. He carried a 45/70 rifle in his saddle hen President Theodore Roosevelt and his scabbard and wore a .38 revolver, a gift from his friend, Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot reorganized President Roosevelt.” Wand consolidated forestry in 1905 under the United States Forest Service, their first aim was to de- Ranger Bill Bell velop a qualified and competent corps of forest rangers. One ranger, made famous in the story by Norman Political appointments had been the standard practice Maclean in “USFS 1919: The Ranger, the Cook, and a of previous administrations, resulting in a less-than- Hole in the Sky,” was Bill Bell of the old Elk Summit desirable work force. That all changed with Roosevelt Ranger District on the Selway National Forest in the Bit- and Pinchot and their selection process designed around terroot Mountains. Later, Sam Elliott played Bell in the a civil service testing system to get the best new rangers. Echo Bridge home-entertainment movie of 2006. But it was forester Bud Moore who brought more of ranger Bell The rangers test to light in his book “The Lochsa Story – Land Ethics in The new rangers test consisted of a classroom written the Bitterroot Mountains.” test and a field practical. Part of the field test consisted Like most rangers, Bell carried a single-action Army of marksmanship with both rifle and pistol. The ranger Colt .45 with a seven-inch barrel. When some tough candidate had to supply his own horses, tack and firearms miners from Butte, Mont., had enough of the Bald for work. Mountain Fire, they gathered around Bell, who was Forest Ranger Henry L. Benham was later interviewed mounted on his black horse. and quoted: “Then they tested to see what you knew The leader said: “We’re taking your pack train” to ride about handling a gun, so you didn’t go out and shoot out of here. Bill hauled his long-barreled, single-action somebody with it the first day. And you had to put a .45 pistol from the scabbard on his belt, thumbed back pack on a horse, a bunch of cooking utensils, bedding, the hammer and responded, “Ye might take my pack bedrolls, and a tarp to cover it with – and a rope to tie it train. But five or six of you ain’t goin’ out.” Thus ended on with. I’d learned all that before I went into the Forest the miners’ idea of a free ride out of the wilderness. Service. I didn’t have much trouble.” In the early days no two rangers looked alike. Con- Ranger Walt Perry siderable variety was the norm with a common western Walt Perry’s life as a forest ranger is well-documented “cowboy” thread and bronze Forest Service badge that in “Walt Perry – An Early-Day Ranger in New Mexico bound the rangers together. Most of the rangers were and Oregon” by Les Joslin. Like Bell, Ranger Perry Western men skilled in woodsmanship and livestock. packed a single-action Army Colt .45 with the long bar- Even today, field officers follow the old cowboy ideal rel. In the backcountry of the Carson Forest, Walt was that “you might not have a lot, but your outfit darned forced to shoot a horse he found that was hobble-burned, sure better look good.” cut bloody and raw with his hoof turned back. As the ranger later wrote: “Then something happened Ranger Fred Herrig which I have never been able to explain. Stepping up to Many men were known simply by their outfit and within eight or ten paces of the horse, he standing still the firearms they carried. Fred Herrig punched cows looking straight at me, I drew a bead just above his eyes for Teddy Roosevelt on his ranch in North Dakota. He where the bullet would range into his brain and fired. was also one of the first men to whom Roosevelt turned He never even wiggled an ear! I blinked a couple of when he formed the Rough Riders (1st Volunteer Cav- times, then drew the same bead again and at the crack

Check the NSA website 9 www.smokejumpers.com of the gun he fell stone dead, never so much as to move Accordingly he aimed toward the top part of the bear a foot, with a bullet exactly where I had aimed. But what and fired again. This produced the desired results as the became of that first bullet – if any? Certainly I could not bear let go of his foot and ambled off into the darkness. miss at that short distance. If someone had drawn the Bill was able to make it back to his lookout station lead from my first cartridge – I am still looking for the and call for help before passing out. It was some weeks son-of-a-gun! I expect that gun to throw lead, and throw before he was able to walk normally, and it bothered him it straight, any time and every time I pulled the trigger. for years. Bill would often wake up at night screaming as Quien sabe?” he relived the horrible event. Ranger Clyde Fickes Modern day Some rangers opted for innovations in firearms. Clyde As a Missoula smokejumper in 1977 detailed to Fickes was famous in the Forest Service for his work Alaska, I soon became acquainted with the firearm rules in developing a pre-fabricated lookout station (Fickes for jumpers up north. The lightest-accepted revolver was 14-foot-by-14-foot L-29 design) that could be packed in the .357 Magnum. Still, most jumpers carried the .44 by mule and horse to be assembled on site. Ranger Fickes Magnum or the new .41 Magnum. If you were faced was also instrumental in developing and managing the with a bear problem and had time to react, a 375 H Remount Depot at Nine Mile west of Missoula, Mont. and H Magnum rifle was dropped to you by parachute. Through his work, the Forest Service would now have a Today, the .12-gauge shotgun with rifled slugs is the dependable supply of mules and horses for backcountry preferred firearm of protection against bears. use and resupply. We live in west-central Wyoming at the base of the But within the Forest Service, Clyde was known for Wind River Mountains. The entire ecosystem north of his choice of a personal sidearm – the German Luger us may have more grizzly bears now then at the turn of semi-automatic. The Luger cost Clyde $25 in 1908. the previous century. Throw in black bears, wolves and Other rangers also opted for the lighter-weight .38-cali- mountain lions and soon any discussion will turn to an ber revolvers, but soon went back to the big-frame 45s individual’s preference of firearm for self-defense. after encounters with bears and other big or dangerous Recently a grizzly was killed in self-defense with game. Not until the development of the 357 magnum the standard GI-issue 1911 .45. Still, most opt for the would rangers have a powerful alternative to the old revolver due to its failsafe design. However, no matter single-action Army Colts. how large the handgun, it will always pale in comparison to the old Winchester or Marlin saddle rifles in 30-30. Lookout-Smokechaser Bill The rifle Reimer Rifles were carried as the preferred tool by rangers for Bill Yenne tells the story of his friend Bill Reimer and everyday work and predator control at the time. Because his encounter with a grizzly in 1930. Bill was the lookout the forest ranger was often the only law enforcement in on Nasukoin Mountain on the Blackfeet National Forest the area, he was often deputized by the local sheriff or during the summer of 1930. About dusk Bill discovered game warden. a fire and left the lookout with his smokechaser pack to Forest rangers have always had the authority to en- fight it. force state game laws on National Forest lands (Organic When he reached the valley floor, he soon became Act of 1897) and work in cooperation with the state aware of an animal approaching him in the darkness. game and fish departments. He shed his pack and beat a hasty retreat, but tripped The ranger’s long gun of choice was the saddle rifle. in the darkness. A large grizzly was instantly on him. Most often the Winchester or Marlin, chambered in the The bear seized one of his feet and lifted him into the 30-30 or like cartridge, that could reach out and also be air to where his shoulders barley touched the ground, carried easily on a horse. dislocating his hip. I had an old fire warden friend, Cap Lee, once tell As this was taking place, Bill unfastened his holster me, “Never leave home ... never go anywhere without strap and got out his .38-caliber revolver. He fired three your 30-30.” shots low into the bear’s body, afraid to shoot higher at I find it humorous to read articles about the 30-30 the risk of hitting his foot. With each bullet the bear that claim it is an Eastern deer rifle and seldom used out became more fierce and shook all the harder. Finally in West. I suppose they have never read about Tom Horn’s desperation, he decided to try for a more vital spot, hit- 30-30 or looked at the old cowboy pictures from the ting his foot or not. West. The advent of the smokeless powder 30-30 in a

Check the NSA website 10 www.smokejumpers.com Smokechaser Warren Yahr Warren Yahr writes the clas- sic tale of a bear encounter in his book “Smokechaser.” The forest packer had walked into a lookout station with resupply only to be confronted by two black bears that had torn the place apart. The packer carried a .22 Colt Woodsman – more then a bit light for bear – and emptied the gun as the bears rushed towards him. Finally the bears broke through a window to make their escape. It was believed that one of the bears died but the larger bear was alive and would soon re- turn. The packer returned to the ranger station and reported the incident. The ranger then gave the young Yahr his Winchester 30-30 with one cartridge, but assured him that a box of 30- 30s was at the Lookout. So the next morning Yarr headed the four miles to the lookout and was able to dispatch the bear the following morning. Rangers R.D. Jones and Clinton Hodges Unfortunately some of the Forest Assistant W. H. B. Kent. Taken on Huachuca National Forest—Now called Coronado Na- work the rangers performed tional Forest, Arizona 1905. (Courtesy USFS) turned deadly. Rangers Jones and Hodges were deputized by light and easy-to-handle 94 Winchester truly gave the the sheriff to assist in trailing a cattle rustler. After track- cowboy or ranger a solid, reliable working man’s tool. ing down the rustler, they approached him, along with It is important to note there are no employees within the owner of one of the big ranch outfits. The rangers the U.S. Forest Service. By the Organic Act of 1897, all were both armed with their 30-30s. within the agency are federal officers and can wear the Within feet and seconds, the rustler pulled his re- “Bronze Pine Tree Badge.” volver ... the gun was out of the holster when the rang- In my career we considered the most basic classes to ers fired. Jones and Hodges were later exonerated after perform the job as that of law-enforcement training and a hearing. fire-guard school. Without these two basic skills, the local The 1895 Winchester gave the ranger a more power- forest officer is ill-equipped to perform the most basic ful rifle that could still be carried easily on a horse. Hank protection functions of the agency. Payson, a local Lander, Wyo., district ranger, carried an

Check the NSA website 11 www.smokejumpers.com 1895 Winchester in the .405 caliber. His rifle is on dis- Most forest officers are avid hunters and many partici- play at the Fremont County Pioneer Museum in Lander. pate in shooting sports. Their familiarity with and actual To affirm Payson, many 1895 Winchesters can use of firearms is often superior to that of the average be seen in old photographs throughout the area – a citizen or city police officer. testimony to the need for more stopping power when When mounted on horseback, a ranger should be confronting the grizzly bear. armed with a handgun for fast use in defense or to put Other rifles often used with “stopping power” were down injured stock. In other instances, such as all-terrain the older 1876 Winchester and the 1886 Winchester in vehicle and pickup truck travel, a rifle can be stored for the preferred 45/70 cartridge. The Savage lever action use in a scabbard, rack or case. The rifle is an accepted rifle was used by local Lander Forest Ranger Charlie norm of Western Americana and does not invoke the Bayer of the Washakie National Forest in the 1910s. To- image of an armed police force. To the contrary, a rifle day some of the agencies’ law-enforcement officers carry presents the quintessential image of a western-working the 45/70 in a lever-action Marlin saddle rifle. culture and the traditions of the U.S. forest ranger.

Conclusion “The well equipped ranger would hardly consider rid- Early forest rangers used the firearms that they were ing out over his district without his rifle and six-shooter. most comfortable with in their prior work as woodsmen, The guns were as necessary a part of his equipment as his stockmen and cowboys. First and foremost the firearm tools for firefighting.” had to be reliable with sufficient stopping power and – Tucker / Fitzpatrick, “Men Who Matched the ease of handle. Although a variety of arms were used, the Mountains” standard of judgment was the Colt Single-Action Army .45 and the Winchester Model 1894 or Marlin 1893 The author wishes to thank Sarah Stiles of the U.S. in .30 WCF (30-30), 38/55 or .32 Winchester Special. Forest Service’s Washington office and Jack States of Lander, Wyo., for their assistance in securing the histori- Opinion cal photographs used in this article. Today, each forest supervisor authorizes the firearm use for forest officers on that forest. For a rugged back- Karl Brauneis served in his Forest Service career as a smoke- country wilderness forest like the Shoshone in Wyoming chaser, hotshot, smokejumper, forester, range conservation- – where pack stock, grizzly, black bear, mountain lion ist and fire management officer. Throughout his career he and wolves are the norm – a firearm presence should be worked in law enforcement as a collateral duty like all the of common practice. early rangers.

THE JUMP LIST

The Jump List is intended to bring you up-to-date on your almost all of it in Africa, Middle East and Europe; now fellow NSA members. Send your information to Chuck She- retired. ley; see his contact information on page 3 of this magazine. Joe says: “In forestry school, I heard about smoke- jumping and it sounded great. I contacted Fred Brauer Joseph Saltsman (Missoula ’46) (MSO-41) and was hired after a very brief interview Now living in: Chevy Chase, Md. for Missoula in the summer of 1946 rookie class. I had Jumped: MSO 46 virtually no qualifications; I had never seen a mountain Since jumping: Joined smokejumpers in Missoula except for a few weeks at Camp Carson, Colo., and following a year in college and two in U.S. Army, I’d never seen a wildfire. My only qualifications were serving as infantry private in Europe; began Forestry a general familiarity with farm tools and horses. I was school at University of Montana, January 1946, gradu- the right age (21), healthy, strong and a forestry school ating in 1948; served as assistant ranger in Beaver- student. I don’t know much today about the jump- head, Flathead and Cabinet National Forests; went to ers, but they have better chutes than the Derry 1946 Alaska as logging camp boss on Dahl Island, 60 miles west of Ketchikan; then worked for the CIA 42 years, Continued on page 8

Check the NSA website 12 www.smokejumpers.com Office Restoration

Roddy Baumann (CJ-70) Jim Fritz (CJ-59) Gobi Restoration Project Photo’s Courtesy Roger Brandt

K G Sheley Mike Hardy (MYC-75) Bob Snyder (CJ-48) & Bob Nolan (CJ-47)

Gary Buck (CJ-66) & Wolf Emonds Roofing Crew Layout Design, by Johnny Kirkley (CJ-64)

Check the NSA website 13 www.smokejumpers.com THE VIEW FROM OUTSIDE THE FENCE

existed before. That’s not going to According to the 2009 “Forest happen here? Service’s Replacement Plan for Tidwell: No. No, I—I believe Firefighting Aerial Resources,” we’ll probably be doing less con- after 2012 “air tankers currently tract work in 2012 to be able to, approved for use by the federal you know, maintain our existing agencies will be either too ex- workforce. pensive to maintain or no longer It’s great to see a politician airworthy.” who understands the true cost One of my friends in the avia- of hiring contractors. The Forest tion business says the only real Service couldn’t function with- solution is to build a dedicated out using contractors and con- standalone air-tanker platform sultants, but using contractors designed and built for the task at to replace full-time employees hand. by Chris Sorensen doesn’t make good fiscal sense or When the Las Conchas fire (Associate) policy. broke out in late June and the By the time this issue reaches evacuation of Los Alamos was In May, the Senate Committee you, yet another air-tanker study ordered, I tried to find informa- on Appropriations, Subcommit- will be out. The latest study is tion on the Los Alamos County tee on Interior, Environment, and by the Rand Corporation, which website. The site had crashed Related Agencies, held a hearing was due in January. I am at a loss and was unavailable during the about the U.S. Forest Service to answer why it was necessary early stages of the fire and evacu- Budget. Sitting at the witness to hire yet another consultant to ation. table was the chief of the Forest pump out yet another study on This brings up a concern of Service, Tom Tidwell. air tankers for an untold amount mine: an overuse of cellular tele- Two topics related to wildfire of money. phone and a dangerous depen- management were discussed dur- You will recall the 2002 “Blue dence on these – and the Internet ing the hearing: a major budget Ribbon Panel,” chaired by the – during major emergencies. cut and the future of the heavy former NTSB Chairman Jim After the Interstate 35W air-tanker fleet. Hall, who has since passed away. bridge collapse in Minneapolis a Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) He was held in high regard by the few years ago, cellular service was grilled Tidwell on budget cuts in aviation community and by those lost in the first 10 minutes. Dur- the fuel-reduction program and who worked for him, including ing a sniper incident in Glasgow, the proposed cutting of more a friend of mine who is a 737 Mont., cell service was lost in than 1,800 positions in the Forest captain. about the same amount of time. Service – presumably replacing We can only speculate if this In my jurisdiction there is a many of these positions with study by the Rand Corp. will latent refusal by responders to contractors. gather dust on obscure library use ICS forms for any purpose, Here is an excerpt from the shelves like the Blue Ribbon especially during exercises. There exchange: Panel report, or if management is a dominant attitude that “we Tester: You touched on some- will actually implement the rec- can fix anything in two hours.” thing that drives me crazy in ommendations forthcoming from I assembled two portable government, and that we reduce the Rand Corp. file boxes last winter – includ- the workforce on one hand and You can find the Blue Ribbon ing multiple copies of all of the we replace it with contract labor Panel report here: www.wildfire- Federal ICS forms – and gave one on the other hand. The cost is lessons.net/documents/BRP_fi- box to the local CERT team and more than the workforce that nal12052002.pdf. the other to the local Amateur

Check the NSA website 14 www.smokejumpers.com Radio Emergency Service. the refinery during a spill or other It seems that a lot of people Other forms in the boxes emergency. Looking back, the in emergency management think include the Coast Guard oil spill first generation “ICS Box” seems they’re going to have unlimited ICS forms. There is a refinery in a little crude, but I am working cellular and Internet service and our jurisdiction, and CERT and on improvements for the next power is never going to be lost ARES may provide support of generation. during a disaster.

There I Was by Rich Halligan (McCall ’76)

uly 1979. We had jumped a sweet little six-manner the sleeping bag with his teeth, and dragged it out of up north of Fairbanks on Beaver Creek. Lynn Flock the hootch. J(MYC-68) and I shared your basic Alaska jumper I briefly had a vision of Lynn remaining in the sleep- hootch consisting of a cargo strap tied between two black ing bag and taking his leave with it. Instead, he lifted spruce trees with a cargo chute hung from the strap to himself onto his elbows, and the sleeping bag slipped make a skeeter-proof shelter and a piece of visqueen out from beneath him. draped over the top to keep everything dry. I was able to see the bear through the hole and ob- I was awakened at about 5:30 a.m. by a “snuffling” served him chewing on the sleeping bag for a couple of sound outside our hootch. Suddenly, I saw the wall minutes. He eventually lost interest and ambled off in the of the hootch above Lynn’s feet pushed inward a few general direction of the rest of camp. Lynn and I yelled, inches, and a set of huge claws (at the time I estimated “bear in camp” a couple of times to warn the others. them at 3-4 feet in length, though, in retrospect, I sus- I lay there in the hootch considering whether to get pect they may have been somewhat shorter than that) up and get dressed or remain in the false security of my poke through the nylon. The claws raked down, tearing sleeping bag. Lynn, quite sensibly, elected to get dressed, a large hole. as the “remain in the sleeping bag” option no longer I prodded Lynn awake and told him, with consider- existed for him. ably more aplomb than I was actually experiencing, that As it turned out, the bear walked over to check out we had a bear problem and pointed toward the foot of the next-closest hootch, which was occupied by Brian the hootch. Lynn rolled over onto his back, just in time Fitzsimmons (MSO-70). We could hear the visqueen to see the bear double the size of the opening by raking crinkle and tear as the bear pawed at Fitzsimmons’ the fabric a second time. The bear stuck his head in hootch. through the hole. Brian hollered, in a rather annoyed voice: “Knock it I was extremely scared. A debate raged in my mind off!” and “Hey, you guys. Quit it.” He had heard our as to whether I should shout and make a racket to scare warning about a bear in camp but thought we were jok- the bear off or remain silent and motionless and hope ing (like I’m going to get up at 0530 to B.S. someone). that he would ignore me. As it turned out, I remained A moment later, Fitz let out the most bloodcurdling motionless, but I don’t know if it was a conscious deci- scream I’ve ever heard in my life: “GET HIM OFF OF sion or if I was just too scared to move. MEEEE!” The scream abruptly stopped, was followed by Lynn apparently came to the same conclusion as I did a brief period of silence, and then the sound of the bear because he remained motionless, also. During this time I padding through the tundra back toward our hootch. had occasion to notice the size of the bear’s teeth, as well Whatever the hell else may have been happening as his claws. Having some medical training as an EMT, I in the world at that time, I knew only the following: contemplated the pathophysiology of death by mauling. A bear had torn up my hootch, went to the neighbor’s Such thoughts added greatly to my anxiety. hootch, killed the occupant, and was headed back toward The bear stepped in through the hole and stood on my hootch with, I assumed, homicidal intent. I didn’t Lynn’s sleeping bag with his front legs. He then began know whether to crap or go blind; I may have done a pawing at the sleeping bag, which, I might point out, little of both. still contained Lynn. After trying three or four times to I remember looking up at Lynn, and the expression hook it with his paw, the bear reached down, grabbed on his face did nothing to reassure me; I doubt that he

Check the NSA website 15 www.smokejumpers.com saw much confidence in mine. As I had mentioned ear- the cargo strap was tied, to bend toward each other. Fitz lier, Lynn had enough sense to get dressed and was now finally realized it was a real bear when he saw a couple of standing, hunched over and tying his boots. inches of claws sticking through the nylon. He claimed With sounds of the bear’s footfalls getting closer each at one point that the bear’s claws were within an “inch second, my fear was escalating exponentially. I finally or two” of his face. made up my mind to get dressed and die with my boots Lynn also survived his encounter alive, much to my on (as well as my clothes). I reached for my jeans. relief. His head and shoulders had been hitting the top The bear was now immediately outside the hootch, of the hootch while he was tying his shoes. The bear ap- and I could hear him breathing. I was on the verge of parently noticed this and reached out and slapped at the panic. I then heard two sounds almost simultaneously – movements. Lynn was struck lightly on the shoulder by the first was a loud slapping noise on the visqueen, and the bear and sustained no injury. He exited the hootch at the second was a short, sharp, gut-wrenching scream. a high velocity through the hole that the bear had made That pretty much did it for me. Without looking on his first visit. back to confirm my good friend’s apparent decapitation, I, however, ended up with a fractured nose, multiple I shot out from my sleeping bag, under the edge of the small, second-degree burns on the top of my feet, and hootch, took two rapid strides, and ran full speed into a whole lot of s—- flicked my way, compliments ofJim one of the spruce trees to which the hootch was tied. Anderson (MYC-74), who had observed the festivities The impact with the tree interrupted what no doubt from his hootch. was the fastest, most fluid and complex movements I Lynn claims that the scream heard when he was have ever made. slapped by the bear came from me. I’m here to testify I then leapt back to my feet, adroitly dodged the tree that that is a blatant falsehood. You must bear in mind and ran into camp. I grabbed a fusee in one hand and (no pun intended) that Mr. Flock is now a pilot, and we a Pulaski in the other. I lit the fusee and began dancing all know what liars pilots are. You know the routine – a around dripping molten sulfur onto my bare feet and 50-acre Meadow with a single snag in the middle, your blood from my fractured nose onto my T-shirt. Skeeters firepack and two saw packs are hung up in the top of began feasting on my scantily clothed body. it, and the pilot swears he “wasn’t aiming for the snag.” The “lull” in the action gave me an opportunity to I will, however, accede that I may have joined in a reflect on my abrupt abandonment of Lynn while he was two-part harmony immediately after Lynn began the being killed by the bear. I rationalized that “at least it original. was quick” and he didn’t suffer. I figured that if our posi- tions had been reversed, he too, would have bravely and quickly departed the scene to seek additional assistance. I saw the bear again a few moments later. He was McDaniel Looking For Recruits moseying through camp, quite unconcerned with the carnage he had wrought and the din now rising from the For West Virginia Project survivors. Someone, who had it together better than I, This summer will again see a major trail project on finally threw a lit fusee at the bear. It hit him in the ribs the Monongahela N.F., WV. Following a very success- and bounced to the ground. ful project on the Allegheny Trail at Black Water Falls, The bear stopped, whirled around and took a big Davis, WV, plans are being made to take on a four and sniff of the burning fusee laying next to him. He let out one-half-mile Loop Trail in the Monongahela NF Wil- a bawl and took off running. Four minutes later we saw derness near White Sulphur Springs, WV. In addition, him crossing a ridge about a mile away, still running at the trail team will replace flooring in the U.S. Forest full speed. Service office at the Blue Bend Recreational Area. No When the dust settled, the smoke cleared, and I had specific date has been established, but June 2012 is put some pants on, I was able to sort out the death and the most likely. There is a need for a cook for 20-30 destruction: workers and a skilled carpenter to oversee the flooring Fitz survived his encounter with the bear, unscathed. project. He had been asleep, face up, when he was awakened by Interested Jumpers and Associates should contact John Lynn and me hollering. The bear pawed at his hootch McDaniel at: [email protected] or by mail at a couple of times, then apparently reared up, placed its P.O. Box 105, Falun, KS 67442 for specifics on the front paws on the top of the hootch, and began bouncing project. up and down on the cargo strap. Blue Bend is a beautiful camping area and has a The weight of the bear was causing the trees, to which great swimming hole near by.

Check the NSA website 16 www.smokejumpers.com HONORING OUR VETERANS Atkins’ Courage Likely Saved Lives Of Squad Members by Carl Gidlund (Missoula ’58)

taff Sgt. Travis Atkins, son of Elaine and Jack “He also enjoyed the discipline and camaraderie the Atkins (MSO-68) of Bozeman, Mont., was Army offered,” she said, “and he was a good, hard- Skilled June 1, 2007, by a suicide bomber who working guy. He was totally courageous. He probably detonated an explosive near a mosque in al-Yusufiyah, saved those other guys from being killed.” Iraq. He was 31. Atkins wasn’t very big – perhaps 5-foot-7 and about A member of the 10th Mountain Division, Atkins 150 pounds. He didn’t tower over a crowd, but people was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Because of his still looked up to him, according to Marcus Graf, who leadership skills, he led a squad of 15 soldiers. served with Atkins in Iraq. Atkins and several other U.S. soldiers were on “I looked up to him and respected him more than patrol when they observed four suspicious Iraqis. The anyone I ever met,” Graf said. Iraqis tried to run away, but Atkins caught one and Travis has received the Distinguished Service Cross. took him to the ground. The man detonated a suicide Travis’s other awards and decorations include a Purple bomb attached to his vest, killing himself and Atkins. Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation A second Iraqi man then began to run at the other Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Infantry- soldiers. He also detonated a suicide bomb, but killed man’s Badge and Air Assault Badge. only himself. The other two men fled. In addition to his parents, who live in Bozeman, Atkins died the way he lived: aggressive, tenacious and a sister who lives in Washington state, Atkins left and eager to get his job done. an 11-year-old son, Trevor, who lives in Minnesota. When his father heard the details, he wasn’t sur- prised. “I said to myself, ‘That’s Travis. He’s not going to let that son of a bitch get away.’” “He loved the Army. He did an excellent job,” said his mother. “He was well thought of by his subordi- nates and his superior officers.” Atkins attended Bozeman High School and Kem- per Military School in Missouri, eventually earning his GED. After high school he worked as a painter, poured concrete and worked in a snowmobile shop. He enlisted in November 2000 and, according to his mother, “When he joined the Army, that’s when he found his niche.” Atkins was initially sent to Iraq for 10 months beginning in March 2003, the start of the war. Follow- ing his first tour there, he left the Army, attended the University of Montana, and worked in the building trades. He re-enlisted in the Army in December 2005 and was sent back to Iraq in the summer of 2006. Atkins had already survived two roadside bombs, so he knew the risks of being in Iraq, said his father, a Vietnam veteran. Atkins joined the Army because he wanted to serve his country, according to Nancy Sander, an Army Reserve nurse who had known him since he was in the fifth grade. Travis Atkins (Courtesy Jack Atkins)

Check the NSA website 17 www.smokejumpers.com MSG Ben Musquez & Family Photo’s Courtesy Ben Musquez (MSO-56)

Rudy (Brother) Angel Sr. (Brother)

Inez Jr. (Brother) Armando (Brother) Eddy (Brother) Johnny (Brother)

Leroy (Nephew) Dio (Brother)

Ben Musquez (MSO-56) U. S Army (Ret.)

James (Nephew) Angie (Daughter) Lydia (Daughter) Jimmy (Nephew)

Efrain (Nephew) Angel Jr. (Nephew)

Ruben (Son)

Justin (Great Nephew) Roman (Nephew) Anthony (Nephew) Kenneth (Grandson) In The Service of the United States of America Since WWII Commemorating Veterans Day November 11, 2011 Adrian Lee (Nephew) Layout Design: Johnny Kirkley (CJ-64) Rachael (Niece)

Check the NSA website 18 www.smokejumpers.com MSG Ben Musquez & Family Photo’s Courtesy Ben Musquez (MSO-56)

Rudy (Brother) Angel Sr. (Brother)

Inez Jr. (Brother) Armando (Brother) Eddy (Brother) Johnny (Brother)

Leroy (Nephew) Dio (Brother)

Ben Musquez (MSO-56) U. S Army (Ret.)

James (Nephew) Angie (Daughter) Lydia (Daughter) Jimmy (Nephew)

Efrain (Nephew) Angel Jr. (Nephew)

Ruben (Son)

Justin (Great Nephew) Roman (Nephew) Anthony (Nephew) Kenneth (Grandson) In The Service of the United States of America Since WWII Commemorating Veterans Day November 11, 2011 Adrian Lee (Nephew) Layout Design: Johnny Kirkley (CJ-64) Rachael (Niece)

Check the NSA website 19 www.smokejumpers.com HONORING OUR VETERANS MacKinnon, West Point Graduate, Held In High Esteem By Comrades, Iraqis by Carl Gidlund (Missoula ’58)

apt. Michael MacKinnon, son of John MacK- innon (MSO-57) of Helena, Mont., was killed Cnear Baghdad on Oct. 27, 2005, when an im- provised explosive device destroyed his Humvee. He was 30 and left a wife, a son and a daughter. Michael was 3 months old when his mother died, so he was raised by his father, who never remarried, and his three sisters. A straight-A student, he was class valedic- torian at Helena’s Capital High School and was in the top 20 percent of his West Point class when he graduated from the academy in 1997. He swam, skied and fished but preferred football, baseball and rugby. “He liked teams,” his father said. Michael chose to serve in the infantry, graduated from Ranger and Airborne schools, and was initially assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division with which he was de- ployed on missions to Haiti and Egypt. A later assignment took him to the 3rd Infantry Divi- sion. He served with that division during his two Iraq deployments. Michael was serving as a company commander with Capt. Michael MacKinnon (Courtesy John MacKinnon) the 3rd when problems arose within a California Na- tional Guard brigade. Several officers were reassigned or leadership is about being able to see beyond yourself and relieved, and Michael was pulled from his Regular Army your own needs.” division to command a California Guard company. He His awards and decorations included the Bronze was serving with that unit when he was killed. Star with one oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Army Of his only son, Army veteran John MacKinnon, said, Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Joint “He loved leading men, but he wasn’t a ‘by the book’ Service Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, soldier. He cut slack, but demanded responsibility and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service came down hard if anybody was out of line.” Medals, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air As- One of the men he commanded, Jamie Wells, wrote sault Badge, and the Expert and Combat Infantryman in a eulogy “Capt. MacKinnon was the best damned Badges. ranger there ever was. Even the Iraqis liked him. They Michael wrote a letter that was to be delivered to his called him ‘Captain Mike.’” wife Bethany and their children if he was killed. In part, David Bout, who served as the California company’s he said: “I believe there is a heaven and I think I have executive officer under Michael, wrote, “He was a natu- been a good enough man to be there. I’ll watch you and ral-born leader whose tactical skill, diplomatic prowess I’ll watch the kids grow up with a tear in my eye, wishing and raw charisma had turned around Haifa Street, one I were there to see with my own eyes. Someday we will of the worst neighborhoods in northern Iraq. all be together again. “Now on his second tour to Iraq, Mike led our com- “I don’t care to be remembered as a smart guy, an pany into the area around Arab Jabour, one of the tough- athletic guy, or a good soldier. I want people to say, ‘That est areas in the Sunni Triangle. With Mike in command, Mike really did love his family.’ I am proud, I am happy; we knew everything was going to turn out all right. I have been filled with so much love. I will always be “Mike left me with a parting gift – the realization that there in your hearts.”

Check the NSA website 20 www.smokejumpers.com Glory Days by Don Havel (Fairbanks ’66)

“Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture PB4Ys, two Grumman Gooses, two DC-3s and some A little of the glory of – well, time slips away helicopters. And leaves you with nothing, mister, but One sunny day what should come roaring out of Boring stories of glory days.” the blue sky but one noisy little bird, practically spit- – Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen ting fire. It was a P-51 Mustang. It was painted pink and it was called the “Pink Lady.” trained in Fairbanks in 1966. I guess you could say The owner introduced it to our BLM bosses with it was a good year for me. First of all, I made 21 the idea that it could be used to fly over a lot of coun- Ijumps. Secondly, I put in my first year in Alaska, try, like following a lightning storm across the Yukon and they say that after one year in Alaska you are valley looking for fires and then reporting those fires hooked; you can’t stay away, the country becomes part back to base. of you and you of it. And so it happened to me. They gave it a try. If I recall, I think it was found Often on a fire jump I would stand looking over to be not too effective. And again if I recall, the pilot the country and tell myself that I was standing on a cart-wheeled it down the runway at McGrath. The spot where no one had ever stood before—well, maybe only jumper to ever ride in it was the late Larry Cra- a mastodon or saber-toothed tiger. vens (FBX-64), who hopped a ride from McGrath to Moose, dall sheep, gold, the Yukon Valley, Eski- Fairbanks. mos, Anaktuvuk Pass, Denali, and grizzlies. The rivers: The grand event, though, was when another aircraft Yukon, Chandalar, Anaktuvuk, Noatak, Kobuk, Un- came settling onto the airstrip. It didn’t evoke excite- alakleet, Iditarod, Anvik, Nulato, Koyukuk, Tanana, ment in me like the P-51 did, but rather mouth-open Chena, Goodpaster, Kuskokwim. The Brooks Range, awe. It was a World War ll A-26B Invader attack the Wrangells, too. Yes, I can still feel all of this. bomber. I have many memories of my five years of jump- The dual engines thundered and the props were as ing in the Last Frontier, but 1967 is notable to me for big as a full moonrise across an October prairie. The two reasons. The Bureau of Land Management had a tricycle gear shifted down, and the plane taxied to a section of the Fairbanks International Airport reserved spot in the BLM lineup. The clamshell canopy opened for our jump ships, retardant planes, and various other and the pilot stood up and stretched. aircraft. The spring lineup included B-25s, B-17s, This aircraft, too, was brought to us to see if it

B-26 Smokejumpers Alaska 1967 (Courtesy Don Havel)

Check the NSA website 21 www.smokejumpers.com 1967 BLM Jumpship today as restored by the Hill Aerospace Museum, located near Ogden, Utah. (Courtesy Alex Lloyd and Kim Cook) could fit into our firefighting efforts. There were a lot – predecessor to the U.S. Air Force – in May 1945. of ideas presented, but one thing was for sure: nobody There were 2,452 A-26s produced, of which 1,355 wanted to give it up. So a plan was developed to outfit were A-26Bs. it as a jump ship and, because of its speed and range, it It was 50-feet long, had a wingspan of 70 feet, and would be loaded with jumpers and used to patrol likely was 18 feet, 3 inches high. The engines were Pratt lightning-strike areas. & Whitney R2800-27 double-wasp radials at 2,000 It would stay out and not come back until the load horsepower each. The maximum attack speed was 355 had jumped. If we ran low on fuel, we landed at a vil- mph with a cruise speed of 284 mph. The range was lage dirt strip, rolled out 55-gallon drums of fuel and 1,400 miles without wing tanks. The rate of climb was fueled up. Sometimes, we could fuel at the Air Force 1,250 feet per minute. It would go from the ground to base at Galena. I remember the old-timers gather- 10,000 feet in 8.1 minutes. It held a crew of three: the ing around it there to marvel. I’m sure they had their pilot, the navigator/bombardier/loader, and the gun- memories, too. ner. It cost $192,457 in 1945. Our new jump ship was designated N600WB The A-26B was the only combat aircraft that was and it has a documented history. The original A-26s used in three wars: World War II, Korea and Viet- came off the assembly line in 1944 and were sent to nam. There were several configurations of armament the European Theater of the war. A second run was used. One consisted of eight Browning M2 50-caliber designated the A-26B, which was an improved model. machine guns mounted in the nose, 4,000 pounds of It went to the Pacific war effort. bombs in the bomb bay and 2,000 on each wing. Our plane was delivered to the Army Air Corps It could be rigged with as many as 18 50-caliber

Check the NSA website 22 www.smokejumpers.com machine guns. Picture that coming at you at a 355- In my log book dated June 11, 1967, I noted that I mph strafe. It could also be outfitted with a cannon jumped Fire Y-32 out of it. We left on patrol at 1640 and rockets or a mix of any of the above. During the and jumped at 1800. Don Gordon (MSO-59) was the Vietnam War it had a capability added to detect the fire boss. I believe we hauled six jumpers and a spot- enemy at night. ter, plus the gear. If I recall, we jumped one-man sticks Our N600WB – serial number 44-35617 – was out of a small doorway, in which we sat with our feet eventually converted for the military to a RB-26C, dangling alongside the plane, and when the spotter which was a photo recon aircraft. It was retired from slapped us, we merely pushed ourselves off. The plane the military in 1958 and had several civilian owners didn’t slow up like a DC-3 or a Goose, but we were after that. At some point it was converted by On Mark tough. Corporation into a luxury plane. I hope you all enjoyed this story. I’ve read many It was owned by Mid America Air Transport in references—well, I guess about 7,236 – to the Mis- 1966 and sold to Red Dodge Aviation of Anchorage soula fellows jumping out of that old Ford Trimotor, in 1969. There were other owners after that. It was and I guess I have to admit I would have liked to have impounded by U.S. Marshals in 1983 during a drug jumped out of it, too. But we had the A-26B Invader raid in California and was found to be loaded with attack bomber. We flew it, we ate our C-rations in it, marijuana; a federal judge ordered that it be turned we slept in it, we soared, we dove, and we jumped out over to the Air Force in 1984. of it. Glory days. It is now at the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. There it was restored to its original “Glory days – well they’ll pass you by military configuration, and its new designation is “The Glory days – in the wink of a young girl’s eye Devil’s Own Grim Reaper.” Glory days, glory days” Only a few of us trained to jump out of that plane. – Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen I don’t remember many of the names of those jumpers, but Chuck Sheley (CJ-59) told me he made his first A special thanks to Randy Wilson of the Commemorative fire jump in Alaska out of the A-26B. I also think the Air Force for his guidance in seeking data for this article. late Gary Dunning (FBX-66) jumped out of it.

Mark Your Calendars Redmond Smokejumper Reunion September 21-23, 2012 More information will be sent out as the details are finalized. Any questions, contact any of the following: Charley Moseley...... 918-448-5994 ...... [email protected] Mark Corbet...... 514-280-8076 ...... [email protected] Erin “Kate” Springer...... [email protected] NSA historian Larry Longley is putting together a book with your RAC jump stories for the reunion. Send or email them to Larry at: 16430 Marine Dr Stanwood WA 98292 [email protected]

Check the NSA website 23 www.smokejumpers.com Wrapping Up A Season On The Wing-Tip Fire by Carl Gidlund (Missoula ’58)

y jump partner, Milt Knuckles (MSO-61), when foreman Fred Cavill (MSO-54) rounded us up insists that I wore wing-tip shoes that day. and escorted us outside. He pointed to a spot on the MI don’t recall the style for sure, but I know side of Miller Creek Mountain just south of Missoula they were low-quarters. and said, “See that smoke?” The story of the Wing-Tip Fire really begins a To tell the truth, I couldn’t, but he assured us that, couple of days earlier, on the Nez Perce Forest’s Boston according to a call from the Lolo Forest’s Missoula Mountain Fire. That mid-morning jump on Sept. 9, District, a snag was burning halfway up the mountain. 1966, was out of a Grangeville Ford, and man, was And, he said, the district was plumb out of ground- it windy. I was on one of the first sticks, and we were pounders. blown to hell and gone. Milt explained that he had to be back the next day I’ve no idea how fast I was going when I hit the to leave for his teaching job, and I told Fred I was at ground butt first, but when I quit revolving base over the base only because I was bootless. apex and shakily stood, I felt duff beneath my left foot. “It’s just a little fire,” he explained. “You ought to I backtracked a few dozen feet and found a vibram have it out tonight. Then, Milt, you can be on your sole, lately the property of my White’s boot. way.” Now don’t ask me how I got it because I don’t To me, he said, “And you’re an old jumper, Gid- remember, but I somehow secured a roll of tape, prob- lund.” (By that time I’d made 129 Forest Service, ably from the first-aid kit. That was how I reunited Army and free-fall jumps). “You don’t need boots.” the wayward sole with the rest of my boot. However, I So Milt and I suited up and climbed aboard a Twin knew that wouldn’t endure the rest of this late season Beech. fire bust; it worked out all right for line digging, but After we gained altitude, the flight to the fire took it leaked duff so it would be a tad uncomfortable for about five minutes. My diary notes that we jumped mopup. at dusk in heavy air and that it was an easy downhill After observing five of us on the ground scattered landing. I’d been concerned that, without the high and staggering about, our spotter, Larry Fite (MSO- heels of my White’s, my low-quarter shoes would fly 60), wisely dry-ran the rest of the load. But just before off on the opening shock. They didn’t. dusk when the wind had calmed, Tim Aldrich (MSO- Milt and I sawed down the smoking ponderosa 62) roared out of Missoula on the Doug and dropped pine with our crosscut and spent an hour or so chunk- 14 badly needed reinforcements. ing dirt. After feeling the now-cold treetop and sur- After groundpounders trekked in to relieve us rounding duff with our bare hands, we saddled up for the next day, we hiked out to a road where a Forest our packout, probably just a mile or so into the Miller Service stake truck and driver were waiting. He drove Creek Canyon. us to Grangeville where we boarded a DC-3 for our I slipped some on the slick soles, but made it safely. return to Missoula, where I turned in my boots for We hit the road in the canyon’s bottom, then hiked repair. a bit more until we came to the entrance to a ranch. Knuckles was part of that second load to Boston As we passed under the horizontal log marking that Mountain. When he returned to the base, he took entrance, I noted a three-bladed propeller mounted on himself off the jump list because he was going to re- top of it. port in a day or two to Hamilton High School, where We woke the rancher, explained our situation, and he taught social studies and math. Milt phoned a non-jumper buddy, Doug Mason, who Did I mention a bust? Indeed it was. In those days showed up in his Thunderbird about a half-hour later Missoula’s complement was 150 jumpers, but by the to deliver us to town - Milt to the jumper dorm and late afternoon of Sept. 11, Milt and I were the only me to my home. two left. While we were waiting for our ride, I asked the He was packing his gear and I was rigging a chute rancher about the prop. He explained that he’d sal-

Check the NSA website 24 www.smokejumpers.com vaged it from the wreck of a B-25 bomber that had Amos Little (MSO-43), an Army doctor who had crashed on Miller Peak in 1945. A neighbor’s son had been trained to parachute by the jumpers, were been an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II. dropped to the wreck to give aid. However, all three At war’s end, the Army had given the young aboard had been killed in the crash. veteran, who had flown more than 30 P-40 missions As I recall, Milt and I were in our respective beds by in Europe, permission to fly the plane to Missoula midnight, but strangely, my Forest Service diary notes where he would debark for his discharge. The bomber that we finally got off that Wing-Tip Fire – for some crashed while buzzing the ranch. reason, the Forest Service named it the Miller Creek I learned later that two smokejumpers, Bill Wood Ridge Fire – at 3 a.m. (MSO-43) and Wag Dodge (MSO-41), and Capt. There’s more than one way to earn overtime.

With Morale At An Extreme Low, USFS Needs Leaders Who Excel by Barry Wynsma

(Copyright 2011, Evergreen Magazine. Reprinted with From my own perspective, some of these leaders permission.) excelled in their position and commitment to federal The following article created a lot of interest among land management while many were average, and a few, NSA members and is reprinted for the benefit of all my opinion, should never have been put in a leader- our readers. (Ed.) ship position. What I’d like to do is provide a list of leadership s I near retirement following 33 years working qualities and actions which I believe make an excellent for the U.S. Forest Service on two forests and leader. I have either worked directly for or witnessed Atwo districts in Idaho, I feel that I have been individual leaders who have displayed at least some of blessed by being able to work as a caretaker of our these excellent attributes. nation’s forests. I hope that I’ve made at least a small I can personally attest that working for these kinds contribution to maintaining the health of our forests of leaders helped to boost my confidence in agency while serving the public needs for forest products and leadership and made me proud to be a part of the For- services. I have many fond memories of my time with est Service team. the agency and the people who work within it. In honor of one of my favorite rangers, I’ll do this When a 2009 survey of federal agency morale and using “bullet statements.” ranking of the “Best Agencies to Work” came out – • An excellent leader focuses on the Forest Service http://bestplacestowork.org/BPTW/rankings/detail/ Mission of Caring for the Land and Serving the Public. AG11 – I was dismayed, but not surprised, to see that This requires a strong commitment to actively manage the Forest Service was ranked 206th out of 216 agen- our forests, and a true leader understands that they will cies. have to overcome both internal and external barriers to The same survey conducted in 2010 raised the accomplish this mission. ranking to 203rd. Leadership was among the largest • Excellent leaders support the people who work reasons for the low morale among employees. for them and get to know them on a personal level. I’d like to provide my thoughts about what causes “Family meetings” don’t count. Excellent leaders take low morale. I’d also like to offer real-life examples and the time to visit their employees one-on-one in order suggestions on how leaders have created high morale to understand what their job really entails and what and also how they can improve agency morale. they need from the leader to make them successful in Over the course of my career, and to the best of my accomplishing the agency mission. recollection, I have worked under the leadership of at • Excellent leaders provide guidance to their least six chiefs, five regional foresters, five forest super- employees on how to do their jobs effectively and ef- visors and ten district rangers. ficiently without wasting taxpayer dollars by allowing

Check the NSA website 25 www.smokejumpers.com them to conduct excessive analysis and report writing. making forest products, including renewable energy Excellent leaders lead by example whenever possible. from biomass. The agency can utilize existing forestry • Excellent leaders don’t micromanage. They trust education websites – such as the Evergreen Foundation their people and empower them. Excellent leaders let – to submit public-education articles. employees think outside the box and allow them to try • Ranger districts are the engines of the agency. new ways to accomplish work. Excellent leaders em- When it comes to budgets, fund the districts first and brace failure as adaptive management but don’t allow make sure they have the personnel needed to accom- employees or themselves to repeat those mistakes. plish on-the-ground work. • Excellent leaders get to know the communities • To save taxpayer dollars, eliminate supervisors of- they live in and work for. Attending public meetings fices and restructure into a Washington office, regional don’t count. Most leaders have access to a government offices and districts. With today’s communication vehicle and a license to drive, and excellent leaders load technologies, I believe supervisor offices are obsolete. up and drive into their communities and visit the for- However, the need still exists for district offices to est products businesses that are located in their com- remain in order to manage our forests and provide ser- munities. Excellent leaders ask to tour these facilities vices to the communities – such as maintaining roads, so they can better understand what is needed to keep campgrounds, trails, issuing forest product permits, them operating in their communities. Excellent leaders etc. Savings from closing down supervisors offices can use this knowledge to formulate a management plan be transferred to district offices that can use the funds for their district, forest or region that meets the needs to more fully staff the districts. of their communities and the piece of national forest • Hire more foresters, forestry technicians and of which they are the caretakers. interdisciplinary resource specialists needed to support • Excellent leaders don’t compromise when it comes forest management. These are the folks who actually to forest management. Some public “stakeholders” help generate money for the taxpayers through timber have ideals about public land management that oppose sales and at least help to reduce the cost of manage- the agency mission that has been mandated by laws. ment. If we actively manage more acres we will gener- Excellent leaders do the right thing for the land, not ate more money, increase fire resiliency of our forests, what they think they can get away with without being reduce the level of fire suppression costs and increase appealed or litigated. In my opinion, collaborative fire fighter safety. groups have been created as a need to discuss the terms • Without strong land management leadership, the of welfare of communities and the health of surround- health of our communities and our forests will decline, ing forests. These groups are not on equal footing with along with agency morale. all other collaborative members due to their penchant These are just a few suggestions of how I think for appealing and litigating projects when they don’t morale and leadership within the Forest Service could “get their way.” I believe leadership and Congress need be improved. My hope is that people in leadership to equalize this imbalance. positions will take these suggestions to heart and take • Although lobbying Congress is not a permitted actions that will result in raising our current rating activity for employees and leaders while they’re rep- from No. 203 to No. 1. resenting the Forest Service, excellent leaders inform Congress and the Administration that natural-resource management laws have grown into a malignant morass Please Tell Us When You of conflicting rules and regulations that have killed the ability of the agency to perform its mission. Agency Change Your Address leadership needs to continuously request help from The postal service does NOT forward your copy Congress to provide legal solutions that will restore the of Smokejumper when you move or leave home agency’s ability to actively manage the public forests for an extended time period. It is returned to us once again. If leaders can’t accomplish this when and the NSA is charged an additional first class they’re “on the clock,” they need to do it on their own postage fee. With 30–40 returns per mailing it time by writing or calling congressional representa- gets expensive and takes a lot of time. Please let tives and by writing letters to the editor of their local Chuck Sheley know if you have any change in newspapers or online publications. your mailing address. His contact information • Start a national public-education program that is on page three. shows new forestry at work. Don’t be afraid to display loggers and logging equipment cutting down trees and

Check the NSA website 26 www.smokejumpers.com New Camera Survives Shock Of Landing Near Challenging Fire by Jack Rowse (Missoula ’62)

e were trying to jump from east to west, shooting for the open area on the west side Wof the ridge of the Goat Haven Fire, Aug. 25, 1962. In the time between the last group and ours, a strong easterly wind came up. When I opened up, I saw the top of the ridge disap- pear under me. I managed to hang my canopy over the top of three trees. The No. 2 jumper did a 20-mph barrel roll be- tween two huge boulders, and the No. 3 guy hooked a line on the top of a snag, which did not break off, fortunately. I’d just spent a lot of money on a new camera. I had it wrapped in a shirt tucked inside my hard hat in my personal gear bag, which clips under the reserve chute. I snapped my personal gear bag to the D-ring on my jump suit and proceeded to make my letdown from about 30 feet. My letdown rope unsnapped my PG bag with the camera, and I watched as it dropped and bounced off a big rock. When I got to the bag the hard hat had a L-R: Mike Smith, Roger Siemens Goat Haven Fire 1962 dented rim, but the camera survived – thus the photos. (Courtesy Jack Rowse) Now the rest of the story: There is absolutely no dirt on the side of the mountain. We were next to a small the cable, and we watched as the bundle dropped into lake, so we brought in Pacific Pumpers and set up a pond the woods. This meant he had to fly back to Missoula halfway up the hill and basically just washed the fire off to get it fixed. the mountain. On his return he informed us that he could only fly After a couple of days it snowed on us. It was August eight hours. After every load of hose he gave us a time and nobody had brought even a light jacket. status. The good news is he got us all out, so we didn’t Before we got the pumpers, a supervisor assigned us get to see Moose Creek. to put out a blast furnace of a fire in the base of a big As Tom Black (MSO-62) pointed out, someone ponderosa. We had to walk about 50 yards just to find a swam out into the lake to retrieve a cargo chute. I was place where we could scrape some dirt on the tip of our up on the hill and watched to see as he started to swim shovels. When we threw what we could manage to get on back that the chute inflated under water. That was one the fire, it just burst into flame. We just left in frustration tough swim. and waited until the pumpers arrived. We only had paper (disposable) sleeping bags, so We were facing the hike to the Moose Creek airstrip, when it started to snow, I put a cargo chute in my bag. which is 19 miles from the fire, when a helicopter became It worked great but I had kept getting tangled up in all available. The decision was made to fly out all the frozen the shroud lines. I have a photo that I have not found pumper hose before us frozen jumpers. I guess the hose yet with a bunch of guys standing around with the flaps complained less than we did. from the bags on their shoulders as rain guards. We tied the first hose bundle under the helicopter and watched as he left to see the bundle starting to rotate. Jack can be contacted at 1233 E Krista Way, Tempe, AZ The cable did not have a swivel, so the rotation unwound 85284 or [email protected].

Check the NSA website 27 www.smokejumpers.com NSA Selects Two For First-Ever Scholarship Awards

ith smokejumping more than seven Wdecades old, the Na- tional Smokejumper Association’s roster features members dating from the present all the way back to the 1940s. The majority of these members have been away from jumping for quite a few years. In an effort to relate to current jumpers, the NSA has instituted a scholarship program for those actively jumping and members of the association, or direct family members of active NSA jumpers. This is the first year of the $1,000 awards to students committed to obtaining advanced education. The NSA’s scholarship com- mittee chose two active jumpers to receive the funds. In order to be eligible, the applicants needed to be currently enrolled in an ac- credited program that will lead to a college degree or accreditation. Applicants were required to – among other things – dem- onstrate financial need, have at least a 2.5 grade-point average at his/her college or university, and Joe Philpott (Courtesy J. Philpott) explain how he/she plans to use the degree or training he/she is interest in learning about for- the task books. seeking. estry management and ways to “The elite program has Here’s a summary of the two keep American forests healthy. graciously allowed me to go to scholarship recipients. He transferred to Colorado State school full-time, while keeping Joseph Philpott (NIFC-09) University this fall, studying for- my position as a smokejumper Starting his collegiate work est and fire management. for the three-month summer at the age of 24, Philpott likely “I am currently working on break. This, however, gives me already had more work experi- several task books to complete to limited time to provide enough ence than many of his freshman further my management prac- funds for the off-season for a full- classmates at Northern Arizona tices involved with forest fires,” time education.” University. That included two Philpott explained. “I am also Matthew Castellon (MYC- seasons jumping at Boise and looking into fire ecology clubs 08) three seasons on a hotshot crew. involved with the university to Felled by illness, Castellon Now, Philpott has a sharp possibly aid in the completion of was unable to return to smoke-

Check the NSA website 28 www.smokejumpers.com jumping for the 2010 season. The “silver lining,” however, was Castellon’s renewed vigor to complete his degree in Fire Sci- ence from Columbia Southern University – for which he is just 15 units short. Castellon entered the Butte College Fire Academy near Chico, Calif., after high school and learned the basics of wildland firefighting while earning his emergency medical technician (EMT) license. “I discovered that I get a huge satisfaction out of helping other people,” said Castellon, who has worked on fire crews throughout the Western states during the past 11 years. “My plan is to take these five classes this fall after the fire season and fulfill my dream,” he said. “Rest assured this scholar- ship will not only help me mon- etarily, but will help make me a better firefighter, and give me the tools to help others in their time Matthew Castellon (Courtesy M. Castellon) of need.”

Two More Children Of Smokejumpers And A Smokejumper Shined At Olympics by Ed Booth (Associate Editor)

e’ve received a lot of thanks and congratula- of no smokejumpers who’d become Olympians – there tions for our story about smokejumpers’ indeed has been at least one. Jack Daniels (MSO-54) Wchildren who became Olympic athletes. earned a silver and a bronze medal in the modern pen- That article appeared in the July 2011 edition of tathlon. That competition comprises riding, shooting, the magazine. It highlighted Olympians Eric Heiden fencing and running. and Beth Heiden, whose father is Jack Heiden (CJ-52); Chuck Sheley (CJ-59), the magazine’s managing edi- Tommy Moe, son of Thomas Moe (MSO-63); and tor, got a message from Gayle Morrison (Associate) to Launi Meili, daughter of Hal Meili (CJ-52). let us know that Daniels had competed in the Olympics We hoped there were more we’d hear about, and our in Melbourne (1956) and Rome (1960). He has also readers did not disappoint us. authored several books and has recently completed his On top of that – despite the fact we said we knew autobiography.

Check the NSA website 29 www.smokejumpers.com Jack is the older brother of Jerry “Hog” Daniels was a high school freshman, enrolling in the Rowmark (MSO-58). Jack earned a silver medal in Melbourne, Ski Academy – part of Salt Lake City’s 110-year-old col- along with his team, though he finished 13th as an in- lege preparatory school Rowland Hall-St. Marks. dividual. Then he came in eighth overall as an individual Lindh began traveling with the U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s in Rome where his team earned the bronze medal. Development Team in 1985 at age 15. Erik Hansen (MSO-62) sent us a note to mention At 16, she was racing on the U.S. national team in his son, Kevin, a setter on the U.S. Men’s Volleyball Europe. In 1986, she won the first of five U.S. cham- National Team. Kevin completed an impressive four- pionships at Copper Mountain, Colo., in the downhill year run at Stanford, finishing third on Stanford’s list of race. A week later, she stunned the ski world by becoming career leaders with 5,036 assists. He was only the third the first American to win the downhill title at the World player in the school’s men’s volleyball history to amass Junior Championships. 5,000 career assists. She won another four U.S. Championships: 1989 He was also a four-time All-Mountain Pacific Sports downhill, 1992 combined and 1997 downhill and Super Federation (MPSF) selection, ranking ninth all-time G. In her first Olympics, the 1988 Games in Calgary, among Stanford setters by averaging 12.89 assists per Lindh didn’t place in downhill, was 23rd in combined game. Hansen then took his skills to the professional and 26th in Super G. level, playing in Russia’s “Superleague” as a member of Lindh won a silver medal at the Olympics in Albert- Fakel Novy Urengoi. ville, France, in 1992. All of this, of course, in addition to his Olympic ex- In the 1994 Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, perience. Hansen helped the United States win the gold Lindh again battled injury and finished seventh in medal in Beijing in 2008 as the backup setter to Lloy downhill and 13th in Super G. That year she also Ball. He started a match against China and played all won her first World Cup victory, the 100th win by an three sets and also played in matches against Venezuela American racer. and Japan. At the 1996 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Hansen helped the U.S. Men win their first World Spain, Lindh won a bronze medal in downhill and fifth League gold medal that year as well. in Super G. At the 1997 World Championships in We then heard from Craig Lindh (MSO-59), whose Sestriere, Italy, Lindh was the only American to medal, daughter, Hilary, won a silver medal in the 1992 Winter winning gold in the downhill. Olympics to augment five U.S. championships, three She retired on March 13, 1997. Her 11-year total on World Cup victories and a World Championship title. the World Cup circuit is three wins, five podium place- Hilary, now 42, started her ascent to success when she ments, and 27 top ten finishes. The Future Of America’s National Forests Depends On Revised Laws And A Restored U.S. Forest Service by Les Joslin (Editor OldSmokeys newsletter)

ew would dispute the notion that the National established by President Theodore Roosevelt and Forest System and the U.S. Forest Service are Forester Gifford Pinchot early in the 20th century and Fimpaled on the horns of a dilemma of dysfunc- managed for its citizen-owners by the Forest Service tion. for the past 105 years, is at risk. On one horn is the lack of a clear-cut role for the At risk with them are the commodity resources national forests. On the other is the lack of an agency – clean water, timber, livestock forage, wildlife habi- staffed by professional forest officers at all levels com- tat, along with amenity resources including scenery, petent to efficiently and effectively manage those lands. outdoor and wilderness recreation, and more – that As a consequence, one of our nation’s great trea- benefit all. sures, the 192-million-acre National Forest System In the West, close to 70 percent of domestic water

Check the NSA website 30 www.smokejumpers.com originates in the forests. Also at risk is the economic consolidation, urbanization and cultural change. survival of hundreds of rural communities that depend On top of that, the generalists they grew have been on the forests for jobs created by renewable resources replaced by more narrowly focused specialists. and by recreation. Developing such a corps is the essential challenge The role of the National Forest System, of course, is for the Forest Service leadership and its U.S. Depart- a matter of law. Indeed, of laws – too many and often ment of Agriculture masters. conflicting laws. Evolution of a clear-cut role for the Without such ranger districts offering the forma- national forests is as critical as it would be complicat- tive experiences and training they once did, the Forest ed. It would depend on a successful legislative review Service should train qualified men and women selected and revision of these myriad laws to produce a more to serve as forest officers at a national, residential, U.S. workable definition and implementation of that role. Forest Service Academy situated on a national for- This is a challenge to the political will of our nation. est that could accommodate, provide and materially Successful meeting of this challenge would produce benefit from – much as teaching hospitals do with a revised and realistic legal framework for the National medical students – a wide range of rigorous academic Forest System and for the smaller, more efficient and and field experiences. This academy would comprise effective Forest Service necessitated by the get-real- an entry-level officer candidate school and a mid-career about-deficit-reduction future faced by the U.S. Gov- advanced course. ernment and the American people as the United States At the officer candidate school, those recruited to careens toward national bankruptcy. be the line and staff professionals and leaders of the This would support a revised forest planning rule Forest Service would learn to be forest officers, first, that would prioritize and implement the community and specialists in one or more relevant disciplines – in relations and resource management field work that which they already would have academic degrees or needs to be done and would not be driven by selfish significant experience – second. The challenging course interests and peripheral considerations. would inspire the will, inform the intellect, and de- Whatever the role of the National Forest System, velop the physical, practical and philosophical where- a truly viable U.S. Forest Service would have a well- withal of a corps of professional and technical mem- defined national forest management mission imple- bers – not employees, but members – who would be mented by leaders who lead effectively and followers the able, willing and dedicated forest officers required learning to lead effectively. It would have a professional by the Forest Service. corps of line and staff officers with field savvy and After significant career assignments and experiences, agency panache who understand and practice the art these forest officers could return to the academy for and science of, as the Forest Service’s own motto puts mid-career training to further their preparation for dis- it, “caring for the land and serving people.” trict ranger and senior line, as well as staff assignments. This would be a corps of capable and competent The academy would be an intellectual and cultural “forest rangers” present and visible in the forests, rather wellspring of the Forest Service, an institutional home than hidden away in offices; supported by, rather than of the resolve and resourcefulness the Forest Service subservient to appropriate technologies; doing jobs, needs to succeed at any well-defined mission revised rather than outsourcing them. laws would prescribe. This would be a corps that capitalizes on, rather Now is the time to act. It’s too late for a business-as- than squanders its proud heritage and attracts, rather usual, study-it-again-sometime, put-it-off-until-some- than alienates, those who would serve in it, rather than body-else-is-president-or-secretary-or-chief approach. just work for it. This would be a corps worthy of the The national treasure that is the National Forest Sys- admiration, respect, and support of the National For- tem is at risk now, the Forest Service is in extremis now, est System citizen-owners, who should be served and and the time for action –real action leading to early would be served by it. results to save both the System and the Service for the The functional Forest Service of yore grew its own citizen-owners of the former and the good people of corps of forest officers – dedicated professionals and the latter – is now! technicians – on mostly rural or remote ranger dis- Audacious? Yes! Expensive? Yes! But certainly not tricts on which the district ranger depended on each too expensive for a U.S. Government that allocates and every member of his small crew to ride for the hundreds of billions of dollars to rescue Wall Street brand and pull his or her own weight to “get it done” and spends more than $2 billion (in 1997 dollars) together. per copy for B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. Indeed, the But most such ranger districts have been lost to entire proposed U.S. Forest Service overhaul process

Check the NSA website 31 www.smokejumpers.com could be funded and the entire proposed U.S. Forest “fiddling while Rome burns.” Service Academy could be established and operated for Isn’t a truly effective investment in the future a decade or two for half the cost of just one of those administration of the National Forest System and all bombers. the benefits derived by its citizen-owners in terms of Expensive? Yes, except when one considers that the commodity and amenity resources, as well as jobs and value of the national forests to their citizen-owners is more stable communities, worth at least that much? in the trillions of dollars, and that these lands are the Impossible? Only if we tell ourselves it is, roll over, source of life-supporting water for millions of people and give up. and myriad other values for millions more. Expensive? Yes, except when compared with the Les Joslin is a retired U.S. Navy commander and former millions of dollars spent on wildfires and the billions U.S. Forest Service firefighter, wilderness ranger, and staff of dollars in damages to the land and citizens resulting officer. He teaches wilderness management for Oregon State from these holocausts. University, writes Forest Service history, and edits the Pacific Expensive? Yes, except when compared with the Northwest Forest Service Association’s quarterly OldSmokeys opportunity costs of the bureaucratic equivalent of Newsletter. He lives in Bend, Ore.

A Real Kick In The Head: Knife- Wielding Jumpers Create Some Drama by A. Glen “Ace” Nielsen (McCall ’46)

ou’d think that after 50 years about everything turned out he had promised some gal he’d be in town. back then would be forgotten or at least too vague If you’re unfamiliar with Dollar Creek, it’s in the Gold Yto write about. Not this, however; it seems like Fork area, so you know it’s not far from town. Ray and only yesterday. I were in the first of two Ford Trimotor loads of eight The “Ray” in my story will go unidentified so as to jumpers each. The spotter recognized that the air was protect the not-so-innocent. very unstable – especially after two jumpers, my brother It was a Saturday morning and the smokejumpers Bernie Nielsen (MYC-47) and Leo Compton (MYC- still in camp were restless. It’s no secret that a jumper’s 47), collided soon after leaving the plane. fondest hope is to jump a fire on a Friday afternoon, so Ray was actually hoping to hit an updraft and that as to have the entire weekend to draw overtime pay. As the wind coming out of the east would blow him back the day wore on, however, the emphasis shifted. over the mountain. We were willing to sacrifice some overtime just to Ray and I were the last two to jump. I jumped first. be in town for the parties and fun we came to expect in Big mistake. It was the spotter’s opinion that Ray’s chute McCall on a Saturday night. We wanted to be there to was slow in opening, and with his extra weight, he came welcome the endless parade of beauties coming up from down on me like a raptor on a mosquito. the valley on weekends. He slid off my chute and down through my shroud This, I was to realize later, bothered Ray. He needed lines, hitting me so hard that it smashed in the side of the extra money either for flying lessons or a new my protective helmet. I was stunned, so when I came to motorcycle, but he didn’t want to miss the parties. So and saw Ray waving his emergency chute knife, in my when a call came in for 16 jumpers for a fire just over dazed condition I thought my life was in danger. He the mountain north of Cascade, Ray told us we could had concluded that if he did not get free of my lines, he probably put the fire out and still be in town that night. was doomed. It was evident when we got over the fire that Ray was I couldn’t remember it later but I, too, had un- going to miss out on a lot of Saturday night fun. It was sheathed my knife and started to defend myself. Ray was just the right size to keep us out until Monday morning. preoccupied with trying to cut my lines, so he was slow I don’t know if they named the fire Dollar Creek after in realizing my intentions. hearing our conversation before the jump, or if it already I really got his attention when he saw that I’d cut into had a name. Anyway, Ray was growing more irritable. It his heavy canvas jump suit in a couple of places. Just as

Check the NSA website 32 www.smokejumpers.com he was preparing his own offense, the chute suddenly I thought he was trying to do me in. He was to say later inflated and he was out of there. that when we collided, he thought by cutting my lines Ray was mad – really mad, now – when he realized he would save himself and believed that there was an what I had done and what I was attempting to do. So outside chance that I too would survive. when he found himself looking down on me in our Smokejumper stories, as I understand it, must meet descent, he hauled down on his front risers and made a certain standards of authenticity. However, as the years pass at me in an attempt to cut me or my chute. go by, these standards are somewhat relaxed. If the story To his credit, as he claimed later, he wanted only to is at least 50 years old – this one is 53 – then the authen- cut enough lines so I would have a hard landing. ticity need only range between 25 and 50 percent. Facts Before anyone was hurt, we were on the ground, and sometimes get in the way and, as jumpers are quick to I was able to explain to him that in my dazed condition admit, can get in the way of a good story.

Remember and honor fellow jumpers with a gift to the NSA Good Samaritan Fund in their name. Hard times can fall on many of us at any Off time. The NSA is here to support our fellow jumpers and their families through the Good Samaritan Fund. Mail your contribution to: The Chuck Sheley 10 Judy Lane List Chico, CA 95926

Vernon Sylvester (Missoula ’47) the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a part of his assign- Vern, 87, died June 18, 2011, in Stevensville, ment, Vern tested radar in airplanes to detect German Montana. He earned a degree in Forestry in 1950 submarines off the East Coast. He jumped at Missoula from the University of Montana following a five-year in 1947-48 before embarking on a 30-year career with stint in the U.S. Navy, which he joined shortly after the U.S. Forest Service, from which he retired in 1980. NSA Good Samaritan Fund Contributions Contributions since the previous publication of donors, July 2011 Donor In Memory/Honor of Roland “Andy” Andersen (MSO-52) ��������������������������������Wilbur “Micky” Burke (MSO-49), Glenn Hale (MYC-57),Billy K. Hester (MSO-58), Dave Schas (MYC-48) First Giving ���������������������������������������������������������������������Mike Overby (MSO-67), Philip Difani (MSO-67) Bruce Marshall (BOI-71) �������������������������������������������������Neil Satterwhite (MYC-65), Bob Steiner (BOI-71) Eddie Yosick (MYC-81) ���������������������������������������������������Scott Hudson (BOI-79) Ben Musquez (MSO-56) �������������������������������������������������In memory of Richard U. Ortiz First Giving ���������������������������������������������������������������������Mike Overby (MSO-67), Philip Difani (MSO-67) Robert W. Pell (NCSB-56) ����������������������������������������������In honor of airtanker pilots who are “off the list” Total funds received for the NSA Good Samaritan Fund, as of June 30, 2011 – $32,604 Total funds dispersed to smokejumpers and families since 2004 – $15,800 Mail your Good Samaritan Fund contributions to: Chuck Sheley, 10 Judy Ln., Chico, CA 95926

Check the NSA website 33 www.smokejumpers.com Vern traveled to Russia, Africa, South America, China, Theodore “Ted” Dethlefs (Missoula ’47) Mongolia, Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zea- Ted, 85, died May 7, 2011, in Salem, Oregon. He land. He was zealous in his care for the environment served in the Navy Air Corps after joining at age 17. and was a member of several conservation organiza- Ted was commissioned a Lieutenant Junior Grade just tions. as the war ended; he served briefly in Hawaii shuttling troops and equipment back to the states. Ted jumped Jeffrey “Jeff” Bardwell (Pilot) from Missoula in 1947 in between years at Washing- Jeff, 40, died April 21, 2011. He graduated from ton State, where he earned a degree in Business, fol- Clearbrook High School in Clearbrook, Minnesota, in lowed by a Master’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation. 1988 and joined the Air Force. He was honorably dis- Following retirement from Oregon State Parks, he and charged after a four-year stint. Jeff attended flight school his wife completed their goal of visiting all 50 states in in Crookston, Minnesota, and earned his pilot’s license, their camper van. flying charters and for UPS before becoming a smoke- jumper pilot at the controls of a DC-3 in Missoula. Norman Kauffman (Missoula ’45) Norman, 87, died June 6, 2011, in Kalispell, Mon- Mike Seale (Pilot) tana. He attended Hesston College in Kansas before Mike, 70, died May 6, 2011, in Coeur d’Alene, earning a degree from Eastern Mennonite College Idaho. He earned a degree in Business from the Uni- in Virginia. He was a conscientious objector during versity of Idaho, following stints at San Diego State World War II and served 13 months in Idaho in the University and North Idaho Junior College. His educa- Civilian Public Service before jumping from Missoula tion followed a tour in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne in 1945. Norman joined the crew of the U.S.S. Mount Division as a paratrooper, a path he chose after failing Whitney in 1946 and helped transport horses to the vision test in his bid to enter the United States Poland as a part of the United Nations Relief and Re- Military Academy at West Point. While attending habilitation Act. He then became a teacher and school Coeur d’Alene High School, Mike earned his pilot’s administrator, continuing until 1970, when he became license; he later flew for Air America for seven years a pastor in the Mennonite Church. He enjoyed church in Vietnam and Laos. He was a smokejumper pilot in volunteerism capacities following retirement from the Alaska for three seasons before a spinal injury forced pulpit, including service with Gospel Echoes Prison him to retire at 37. He was a life member of the NSA. Ministries.

ODDS AND ENDS

by Chuck Sheley we will send you (free) a distinctive Congratulations and thanks to Smokejumper license plate frame for Chauncey and Christy Taylor your car or truck, several NSA decals of Johnson’s Corner who have for your vehicle or wherever you want provided a tremendous amount of to put them, and (while they last) a support for the NSA Trails Program copy of Cold Missouri Waters CD. and just became our latest Life “We also want to remind all of you Member(s). In addition we want to to keep us updated if you change or add thank the following new Life Members: an email address. This can be done via the H.B. “Doc” Smith (MSO-59) and Brian ‘Jump List’ on the website or by contacting me T. Miller (RDD-85). or Chuck Sheley (CJ-59).” John McDaniel (CJ-57) NSA Membership Bruce Marshall (BOI-71) in a note with Chairman: “When you take out a 10-year contribution to Good Sam Fund in honor of membership ($180.00), renew an already 10- Bob Steiner (BOI-71): “Bob and I trained year membership or upgrade from a lesser term, together at the McCall base as we began our rookie

Check the NSA website 34 www.smokejumpers.com year for the Boise N.F. The following summer we shared an apartment near the Boise State University campus along with Walt Smith and Larry Steele, also from the BOI-71 class. The experience of living with this group in that social setting contributed heavily to the summer’s memories. We had a great time! During the fire season of ’75, Bob and I also roomed together in Fairbanks for our final summers as smokejumpers. We knew each other well. “As always, what exceeds the recol- lection of the adventures are the friend- ships created and the experiences shared. Bob Steiner will always be a part of my smokejumper memories.” Andy Stevenson (RDD-65) sent along a copy of a rather unique birthday card made for him by his daughter done with photos taken off our smokejumper website. Great job. Happy birthday Andy. Here is an interesting happenstance. Pete Hutchinson (not a jumper) found a Mis- soula 50th Anniversary belt and buckle in an airport. The buckle was #30 and had a 2004 date stamp. Pete contacted me through the NSA website and would like to get the property back to his owner. You can contact Pete at: RPetehutch@ aol.com or (816) 931-5559. In any case, thank you, Pete, for going far beyond the extra mile. Barrie Turner (MSO-59): “After 48 years of flying helicopters and 27,000 hours, I finally retired and now live in Thailand. Will always have a fond memory of Nice license plate-Dale Graff (MSO-60) (Courtesy D. Graff) a great bunch of guys. Enjoyed the summer project at Spruce Creek and the reunion in the Payette Forest. As we were being dropped off, Missoula in ’06. Any past or present jumpers going a planeload of McCall jumpers were landing in a to Thailand look me up by Email: barrieturner40@ meadow on the far side of the ridge from the fire. yahoo.com.” Once the fire was contained, the jumpers began re- Bruce Marshall (BOI-71) in a note with contribution trieving gear and hauling it up to an LZ on the ridge to Good Sam Fund in honor of Neil Satterwhite line. (MYC-65): “It was with great sadness I read of the “I remember being impressed by their team effort, passing of Neil Satterwhite in ‘Off The List,’ and camaraderie and how much they enjoyed what they I offer this contribution to the Good Samaritan did. As the last of the gear was packed up the steep Fund in his honor. Neil was with the first group of slope, I noticed that a short, tough-looking character smokejumpers I ever met and the impression was wasn’t carrying gear, but had another jumper on his everlasting. back. It was Neil Satterwhite carrying Jerry Ogawa “In ’70 I worked on a helitack crew out of Di- (MYC-67) up from the meadow. xie, Idaho and was sent as initial attack to a fire in “This was also my first introduction to the game

Check the NSA website 35 www.smokejumpers.com of “heads out,” which Neil had just lost. I would have it. The article about Dr. Little stood out to me. I had never guessed the following spring would find me in forgotten his name, but I was one of the jumpers McCall for rookie training as a Boise jumper and that jumped in to help carry Archie Keith (MSO- Neil Satterwhite would be part of the training cadre. 45) out and what a trip that was. The jumpers that “I remember how he enjoyed pushing us off the had jumped with Archie (Jim Brunk/MSO-45 was back of a pickup truck to practice our landings, and one) had carried him off the mountain, down to a when someone hit so hard his helmet bounced into good trail. This took all night, as they had to carry the air, I have never forgotten his harsh voice yelling, him down though a lot of brush with downed timber ‘If you’re looking for sympathy, you’ll find it in the on the ground. Then the eight fresh guys jumped in dictionary between ‘shit’ and ‘syphilis.’ I still smile early morning and carried Archie to the road. He was fondly as I recall the moment. in great pain until the doctor jumped in, checked “On a weekend rookie trip to Boise, we came him over and gave him pain killing medication and across a Superman t-shirt in a sporting goods store. monitored his condition all the way out.” It was dark blue with the big red ‘S’ and gold ‘Super- Dick Flaharty (MSO-44): “I wrote an article for Smoke­ man’ emblem on the front. We purchased the larg- jumper in the July 2002 issue entitled ‘Let’s Hear It est size we found as a joke, but were surprised when for the Packers.’ In it I described a fire jump Ad the chest and shoulders fit so well. Since that time, Carlson (MSO-43) and I made near the Wahoo whenever I’ve seen a Superman logo, I’ve thought of Peak Lookout tower. We were instructed to stay on Neil Satterwhite and always thought it appropriate. the fire until our packer arrived and help him close “There must be volumes of ‘Satterwhite Stories’ the tower for the winter. and I would love to hear them all. His life was a re- “I took a picture of the young packer that was markable journey, and I am truly honored to have printed with the article. A short time later I re- known someone of his character.” ceived several inquiries about the identification of Gary Watts (MYC-64): “I was on the jump where Ken the packer. Since I wrote the article many years after ‘Moose’ Salyer (MYC-54) and Skip Knapp were the event, I could not recall the packer’s name. Bob killed. For the life of me, I can’t remember who else Schumaker (MSO-59) spent almost a year trying to was on that jump (4 of us). If anyone remembers and track down that name. We finally gave up. could share their memories with me, perhaps I could “I was cleaning out my wife’s desk the other day put together a story or article about it.” Contact Gary (Betty passed away in 2006) and found a packet of at: [email protected] or PO Box 1107, Julian, letters I had written in 1944. The last letter covered CA 92036. the Wahoo Peak episode where I had identified the Don Wallace (CJ-49): “In the current issue of Smoke- packer as “Tex” Taylor who had been released from jumper magazine, in the ‘Off The List’ section, you the Army on a medical discharge. have included an obituary for Terry Fieldhouse “What is remarkable about this is that we have (CJ-47). I am writing to say I am quite sure Terry moved eleven times since WWII and Betty never graduated in Forestry from Washington State Uni- parted with that pack of letters.” versity at Pullman, not the University of Washington Ron Thoreson (CJ-60): “Apropos of my Smokejumper (Seattle). (Don is correct, it was WSU. Ed.) Terry began article in the April issue concerning the changes in his professional career organizing the startup of the Missoula and CJ, there is an article in this month’s forestry program for the government of the Domini- Smithsonian about Missoula by Rick Bass. He’s one can Republic. of the writers who have relocated to Missoula to “Terry was our chute packer and ran a one-man make it a literary and arts scene now. operation in the loft. He made each of us a fanny “I went by Foris Winery when we were at the pack to strap to our belts to take on fire jumps. I (CJ) reunion. The guy running the tasting room was very appreciative of Terry’s consideration as I was not Ted (wouldn’t say who the hell he was) and carried both dark-colored and clear-frame prescrip- was decidedly not impressed with the fact that I was tion glasses. He also flew with Pilot Ed Schultz in the the food and wine critic for Smokejumper magazine! L-5 to drop mail, etc. at the lookout towers in the I’m guessing that I have that title since I’m the only Siskiyou. Terry was one of those quiet spoken and person who has ever written a food or wine critique particularly unassuming good guys we run across in in the magazine. You would think that having wine life from time to time.” critics from the Wall Street Journal and Smokejump- Luke Birkey (MSO-45): “The July issue just arrived, er magazine would be equally thrilling for them, and as usual, I’ve read it cover to cover and enjoyed wouldn’t you?”

Check the NSA website 36 www.smokejumpers.com